Pardon John Brown 150 Years Later

South Carolina has begun planning to "celebrate" the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, which will officially be in 2011, or next December if you start the clock when my native state became the first to leave the union. Another important date from a century and a half ago has already arrived -- the day John Brown was executed. A professor argues that he should be pardoned by the president and the governor of Virginia. I agree. (Another writer compares and contrasts Brown's efforts to modern-day terrorists.)