Brown Makes Statewide Book Tour
Ouachita Citizen
May 12, 2005
By Ron Watson, Jr.
He could have fallen away from the public eye, his federal conviction a distant detail of Louisiana political history, but that’s not Jim Brown’s style.
Just over two years after being released from prison for lying to an FBI agent in connection with an 1999 federal investigation of Edwin Edwards, the former insurance commissioner and longtime politician has hit the road on a book tour.
Brown‘s biography, "Justice Denied," recounts experiences in Louisiana politics, his 1999 trial, and his case for "vindication."
"I believe people want to hear my side of the story, that, in my opinion, a huge injustice was done," he said. "I think I did a good job in public life, and I want history to judge me better than those outrageous charges."
But the tour in support of "Justice Denied," which brought him to the Twin Cities this week, has also afforded Brown the chance to "get a sense of the rhythm and soul of Louisiana." And he doesn’t like what he sees.
"I love this part of the state," he said "I’ve spent all of my adult life in Ferriday, where I first became a state senator, and I’m not happy at all about what I see here, as far as the lack of opportunity and young people having to leave to find good-paying jobs."
Brown is also concerned about once-thriving small downtown districts that are "drying up," and laments the lack of a regional four-lane interstate.
"I talked about Hwy. 15 my entire political career, and it’s come a long way, but when you get to Monroe it’s a dead stop," he said. "We’ve got to have better infrastructure."
Brown said he penned "Justice Denied," during his six-month incarceration, partially to keep his spirits up.
"My attitude was ''I’ll gain nothing by being negative,'" he said. "A baseball season lasts longer than six months. So I wrote my book, got in great physical shape, and now I’m ready to talk about my experience."
So what kind of advice does a 65-year-old former elected official, who’s been everything from Coach Dean Smith’s first recruit at the University of North Carolina to a career politician to a person convicted under questionable circumstances have to offer?
"First of all, don’t get bogged down in the small stuff because those things have a way of working themselves out" he said. "Secondly, don’t let the system grind you down, and find a niche where you can make a difference, no matter where it is."
Ron Watson can be reached at 318.322.3161 or at news@ouachitacitizen.com.
