And that was one of his calling cards. One of the things that he was known for is he said things the way that he saw him, even if it made people uncomfortable. And even if the language can strike you as aggressive at times, and it definitely can and definitely does. One of the turning points in Douglas's life happened when he was about 12 years old. One day he heard some little boys reciting pieces from a book that was widely used in American school rooms in the first quarter of the 19th century to teach reading and speaking. It was entitled The Columbian Orator. The book was a collection of famous political essays, poems, and speeches. And he was able to scrap together 50 cents and purchase it from a local bookshop. Its title page reads, The Columbian Orator, containing a variety of original and selected pieces together with rules calculated to improve youth and others in the ornamental and useful art of eloquence. and The Orator contained the best speeches and writings from the greats. George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Napoleon Bonaparte, Socrates, Cicero, and so on. If I can say so, The Orator was basically Frederick Douglass's how to take over the world. It was his chance to learn the secrets of the great ones. These selections inspired him to seek liberty for himself and others, but also helped him develop the oratory and rhetorical skills to be successful once he was a free man. And this is another big lesson that we can take away from Douglas's story. If I can say so myself, is that even