By Guest Contributor Daniel Goodwyn
Scott Columbus — the son of the late legendary drummer of the heavy metal band Manowar — is not asking for pity. He’s asking for something much deeper: a fighting chance.
“This is a hand-up for all of us, not a handout.”
That’s how Scott put it to me when he finally launched his GiveSendGo fundraiser. It wasn’t easy for him to set it up. Like many January 6 defendants, he has struggled to find his footing in a country that once promised justice and freedom, now weaponized against the very people who believed in it the most.
Scott was pardoned after his arrest for January 6, but his life hasn’t returned to normal, not even close. The charges? Two counts of disorderly conduct, trespassing, and parading. The reality? He was pushed into the Capitol by the surge of the crowd on the West Terrace. He stayed for only two minutes. He had no weapons. He damaged nothing. He turned around and walked out.
“They said I went into an office. I didn’t. The picture the media used of me and the girl I was with was taken before we went inside. They cropped out the tear gas in the background to push a narrative.”
After the arrest, the consequences piled up. He was forced to undergo a year of mental health treatment. He was sentenced to 30 months of probation. His credit was destroyed. Jobs became impossible to land with “J6” on his record. But worse than the government punishment was the social one.
Scott lives in a small rural town of about 900 people — Wolcott, New York. Out there, everyone knows everyone. After his arrest, that familiarity turned into persecution. “When I made the news, the local pizza shop called me a dumbass. They told me not to come back and said they didn’t want my pennies. Other businesses won’t let me in either. Supposedly it’s a Republican town — but it’s full of RINOs.”
There is no Uber in Wolcott. No public transportation. The nearest Walmart is 30 miles away. And now, after both of his vehicles were rendered unusable from wear and tear during long drives to probation in Rochester (47 miles each way), he’s left walking miles just to get basic supplies — or worse, relying on untrustworthy locals. “I paid someone $200 to get me groceries and socks from Walmart. They disappeared with the money.”
He was also mugged, stabbed in the eye, and tazed five times. His catalytic converter was stolen. Tires slashed. His Monte Carlo eventually had to be scrapped. And while enduring all of this, Scott was the sole caretaker for his blind and bedridden mother — herself $30,000 in debt after a fraudulent land dispute the FBI completely ignored. “The FBI had no interest in the neighbor forging documents to steal our land. They only cared about arresting me for January 6.”
Scott has Asperger’s and schizophrenia. He’s vulnerable and honest about it. When he was arrested, he was interrogated alone. No lawyer. No family contact. “I didn’t know my rights. I wasn’t allowed to talk to my mom. They had me strip down to my underwear and left me in a jail cell for six hours. I always depended on my mom. I don’t read people well. I get used a lot.”
His fundraiser, GiveSendGo.com/GF7MR, isn’t asking for the world. He’s shooting low — just $5,000 — mostly for a reliable car, basic bills, and survival. He lives on limited income while trying to care for his mom, his cat, chickens, and a St. Bernard. But his greatest burden may be the isolation he feels as a labeled “extremist” in a country town that turned its back on him. “Even the girl I was seeing won’t talk to me anymore. She believed the media. She blamed me for what happened. She made videos smearing me. People here either ignore me or try to scam me.”
The most heartbreaking part? He almost didn’t create the fundraiser. Not because he didn’t need help — but because he didn’t believe anyone cared enough to listen.
We’re changing that.
And if you’re wondering whether this is just Scott’s struggle — it’s not. Dozens of J6ers are suffering in silence. You can find many of their stories and their fundraisers at StopHate.com/SHDOD.
Scott’s story is raw, real, and deeply American. He stood for the truth. He was crushed for it. But he’s still holding on. To his faith. To his love for country and to the hope that real patriots like you will step up and show him he’s not alone.
“I love my country. I love my President. I thank him for the pardon.”
Let’s surprise Scott. Let’s blow past his goal and show him what America First really means. If you can’t give, share. Pray. Speak his name. Let him know the movement didn’t forget him.
Because when the regime comes for Patriots… Patriots rise for each other.
Gateway Pundit guest writer Daniel Goodwyn is a Christian, J6er, and activist. He knows firsthand how important it is to lift up those the regime tried to silence. He has a background doing pro-life, free speech, and election integrity activism. He was a J6 political hostage, released in August of 2023 and pardoned in January of 2025. Daniel has been on with Tucker Carlson discussing the topic of political hostages in the United States. He has worked on five documentary films on this topic and has assisted a number of legal teams with the review of film footage, as well as being part of David Sumrall’s StopHate.com team. Daniel is the son of Marie Goodwyn, who became a full-time activist because of Daniel’s prosecution. DanielGoodwyn.com
The post “They Took Everything But My Faith” – J6 Patriot Scott Columbus After Facing Brutal Isolation, Disabilities, And Local Hostility appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.