Three rapists, four racists.

On May 19th, 1856, Senator Charles Sumner stood in front of the United States Senate and condemned two senators for their ownership and mistreatment of slaves. To quote the Senate website:

Sumner characterized [Stephen] Douglas to his face as a “noise-some, squat, and nameless animal . . . not a proper model for an American senator.” Andrew Butler, who was not present, received more elaborate treatment. Mocking the South Carolina senator’s stance as a man of chivalry, the Massachusetts senator charged him with taking “a mistress . . . who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight — I mean,” added Sumner, “the harlot, Slavery.”

Sumner was an abolitionist. To him, and to any decent human being, slavery was an affront to both God and man. It was an abomination to be stamped out and never to be tolerated. As harsh and personal as his speech may sound, it could never approach the offensiveness of a single human in chains.

Three days later, Senator Sumner was nearly beaten to death on the Senate floor by a pro-slavery Democrat, who was dearly and deeply offended that Sumner would dare insult his slave-owning (and very likely slave-raping) colleagues.

Sumner survived with permanent bodily injuries and brain damage from which he would never fully recover. His attacker, Representative Brooks, was “punished” by receiving thousands of free canes from ferverent supporters of slavery and an overwhelming re-election to his house seat even after he resigned and refused to run.

In America it is a greater crime to offend long-lived institutions and confront respected politicians than it is to own slaves, rape women, or even beat a man close to death on the Senate floor.

American political life has always been defined by shame. Shame is the weapon used against all manner of advocates for justice.