Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
You’ve probably never heard of Alexander Anderson, a 19th century doctor who practiced medicine in what later would become Bellevue Hospital. But that’s not why we’re mentioning his name here. He is included because of an illustration he created in protest to the Embargo Act of 1807. President Thomas Jefferson had just signed this act which ended the shipping of all exports to England and France. Many saw this as hurting U.S. farmers as well as the mercantile and shipping interests of New England and New York. But it was Jefferson’s nonviolent protest against British and French ships that attacked U.S. merchant ships suspected of transporting munitions to one of the participants in the Napoleonic Wars.
Anderson, as a citizen of New York, let his views be known by creating a cartoon. In it he showed a Common Snapping Turtle, which was apparently under the direction of Jefferson, applying a vicious bite to the rear end of some poor merchant. In response, the victim yells out “Ograbme!” Thus, this creature of the shallow waters of the eastern half of the United States also became known as Ograbme. These amphibians will eat just about anything they can bite off and swallow, including your finger should it wander too close. And just in case you didn’t notice, Ograbme is Embargo spelled backwards.
Strange, isn’t it, that a name like that would still be associated with this animal after all these years? Apparently Jefferson didn’t let the name bother him too much. He wouldn’t let secondary issues like this detract him from his primary objective. In the same way, Jesus let the disciples know they needed to focus on what was most important. Luke 10:20 puts an emphasis upon this: “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (NIV) For Him, having your name in the right place was most important.