Atty. Isaac Jackson’s Tribute to Cllr. Charles W. Brumskine

Before our disagreement, Cllr. Brumskine would usually start his communication with me by saying: “Hey Bob Jack”; and conclude with, “Your Big Brother”. I am still processing his sad passing. Maybe, I was too hard on him; maybe, I glibly glossed over the fact that he was a mortal being. I don’t know: Yeah!

Countless verses in the Bible recall the eloquence of Jesus Christ. According to the Holy Scriptures, thousands of people usually gathered to listen to Jesus speak. But, at the passing of His friend, Lazarus, the epitome of eloquence was short on words – He wept!

While I do not intend to compare my feeble, stammering lips with that of the eloquence of Master Jesus; I, too, have gone short on words at the sad passing of a Big Brother –  the Political Leader of Liberty Party: a party whose foundation stones we collectively laid.

It is an understatement to say that Cllr. Brumskine and I come a long way – we trekked a political journey that was not altogether smooth.  Sadly, we had our differences that unfortunately spilled into public domain. Notwithstanding those differences, I remained respectful of Cllr. Brumskine’s unparalleled courage to challenge the autocratic misrule of Charles Taylor, and his most recent robust fight for the electoral integrity of our political system.

Admittedly, I benefited from his wealth of experience – as an erudite lawyer and a skilled politician. As a savvy legal practitioner, his love and respect for the law was unmatched. As a politician, his love for country was unquenchable! He used to talk about “bad leadership” being a curse. He once said to me that a leader doesn’t gain the respect of others by abusing the exercise of his/her authority.  “As Senate Pro Tempore, I never jailed anyone,” was his passionate refrain.

It would be remised of me in my brief reflection, if I didn’t commit one line to the elegance of the man, Charles Brumskine. His unique attire was quite representative of Liberian statesmanship.

Boss man, was the term of endearment used by all of us at the early stage of the movement. And so, with teary eyes and heavy heart, I wish to say rest on, Boss man!

Yeah, my heartfelt condolences go out to members of the bereaved family, especially his widow, Mrs.    Estelle Brumskine, and the children, Liberty Party, Grand Bassa, as well as a country in need of a courageous leader of Brumskine’s caliber.