Missouri Governor Says National Guard Is Still Option in Ferguson

[KingCharlemagne]

Source: New York Times

Gov. Jay Nixon said Tuesday that the Missouri National Guard was part of a multiforce contingency plan by law enforcement authorities to avert violence as the region around St. Louis awaited a grand jury’s return in the death of Michael Brown three months ago.

“The Guard will be available when we determine it is necessary to support local law enforcement,” Mr. Nixon announced in a news conference at a state highway patrol headquarters here, standing beside law enforcement leaders from the St. Louis area. “Quite simply, we must and will be fully prepared.”

~snip~

“In the days immediately following Michael Brown’s death, peaceful protests were marred by senseless acts of violence and destruction,” he [Nixon] said. “Vandals smashed the windows of small businesses. Criminals looted and set fire to stores. Gunshots and Molotov cocktails endangered citizens exercising their First Amendment rights and law enforcement attempting to maintain peace. That ugliness was not representative of Missouri, and it cannot be repeated.”

~snip~

To that end, three large police agencies in the area — the St. Louis County police, the St. Louis city police and the Missouri State Highway patrol — will operate under a unified command system. Leaders from all of them appeared beside the governor on Tuesday afternoon, though police officers from the beleaguered Ferguson department were not seen there, nor was their role in the handling of possible protests mentioned.

~More at link~

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/us/missouri-governor-says-hes-prepared-to-use-national-guard-in-ferguson-again.html

---

Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming, eh?

Notice how Gov. Nixon is buying the right-wing spin machine's BS about Molotov Cocktails (never documented by anyone in the non-Fox MSM)? Too bad Nixon couldn't have exercised the same authority over that stooge DA Bob McCulloch.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. I'll be shocked if folks 'riot' out there

Protest? Yes.

Riot? No.

Sounds like the 'authoriTEH' out there is looking for a fight . . .

[KingCharlemagne]

2. Will Nixon have the guts to order his National Guard to move against

the police when they instigate the violence, as happened in about 99% of all violence heretofore?

Hell, no.

He's playing to the law-n-order crowd in the state. Pathetically predictable. President Obama should federalize the MO National Guard and take it out of Nixon's control right NOW.

[JustAnotherGen]

3. I don't think

The citizens are going to revolt the way some of the internet *cough cough* news sources are trying play up. And your are right - that Governor is playing a game - and a dangerous one.

I hope the citizens just quietly sit down on main street. No signs, no chants, no voices. Good old fashioned sit in.

The calmer and quieter they are - the more they keep their hands in their pockets -

The worse the law enforcement teams in MO are going to look.

[KingCharlemagne]

4. I will support them in whatever decisions they take, should the Grand Jury not

issue an indictment and\or McCulloch not recuse himself for conflict(s) of interest. Since I am not there -- my fervent desire to be there notwithstanding -- I don't feel right advocating that the movement do this or that.

That said, I'd like to see masses from East St. Louis and metro St. Louis flood the affluent upper-class suburbs of St. Louis County and bring residents' vehicular lives to a friggin' standstill.

MESSAGE: You can have your racism and white supremacy OR you can have your comfy affluent lifetstyles. BUT YOU CAN"T HAVE BOTH!

[JustAnotherGen]

8. I have to go by what was most effective

We know passive aggresive protests work - we know it worked to end Jim Crow.

Time to end the New Jim Crow too.

But - if they go to those neighborhoods (i.e. where I'm sure some snot will say they don't belong) - then it really drives home the idea of a new black civil rights movement of peaceful protest.

We've got to get the authorities to make themselves look awful. That includes the Democratic Governor.

Who at this point - is just worthless.

[KingCharlemagne]

10. Well, Gov. Nixon isn't worthless to the 1% who inhabit his state, since he's

made protecting pivate property interests a clear priority over suppressing police violence. Since the police these days are little more than a goon squad for the 1%, Nixon is only illustrating where his true loyalties lie. Hint: They ain't with the bottom 99% of Missourians.

[JustAnotherGen]

11. When he is next up

I really really hope the liberals and progressives in MO primary him.

How much WORSE could it possibly get there?

Better for a true liberal/progressive to lose - than a turn coat like this guy to win.

[KingCharlemagne]

12. Well, channeling my inner Machiavelli for a bit, the scuttlebutt was that

Nixon's lame and ineffectual response to Ferguson in the immediate aftermath had scuttled any chances he might have had to get on a national ticket. Maybe Nixon hopes to use a macho deployment of the National Guard to get himself back into the national spotlight? This guy's 'Ugh' factor seemingly knows no bounds.

[heaven05]

25. +100

[jwirr]

17. Of course they are. How else are they going to prove that the citizens of Ferguson MO are to blame?

I do not like their governor no matter what party he claims to be with.

[Hoyt]

5. The right wing said there would be riots after Zimmerman got off for murder.

There was not.

[KingCharlemagne]

6. The only rioting I've seen in Ferguson thus far is police rioting. - nt

[JustAnotherGen]

9. Plus 10000000

[jwirr]

18. Exactly.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. That's my thought too

I was pleased with the 'twitter' riot my nephews participated in that evening. Some of their language was reprehensible -

But it was fun to see young black men kind of 'quote' Rachel Genteel (sp?) regarding how it would 'be' to riot in their own neighborhood.

[Robbins]

13. I say forget him

ANd i am white missouri DU.Virtully th entire democratic party In Missouri has sold out blacks In State who are crutial part of dem base In Missouri.

[KingCharlemagne]

14. Fair enough, except Nixon for now does control the MO National Guard. It seems to me

that any use by him of the Guard will constitute a tacit admission that the social contract as it existed is gone and that now only the brute force of Nixon's dragoons can restore order.

[Robbins]

16. His days In MO politics are over

If he runs for senate In 16 many dems will stay home.He sold out the base to police and business owner.He should be first one blamed if we can brute forces against protesters on TV.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. Unless you guys find a viable Primary candidate now

It will be an uphill battle with the National Party Power Players (see the Barbara Buono campaign in NJ 2013) - but there has GOT to be someone you guys can run against the national party.

Everyone is so focused on the President - they forget - we need to inflict pain on our opponents at ALL levels. I'm fifty/fifty on running for a town council position. We have a Democratic council member (yes even in our tiny borough) who wants to play kissy face with the people outside of the town who basically voted for the Penn East Pipeline (Lance/Bell) last week.

No - this Democratic party member has zero tolerance for their future need for clean water NOT meaning massive installation/tap in prices/maintenance fees for those McMansion owners off of route 202.

I'm probably losing you with this local nonsense - but at the end of the day - we are going to have to get:

1. Local
2. Mean
3. Show our dark side

Playing patty cake kissy face nicey nice will get us nothing - and that's what Nixon is doing - playing kissy kissy with the 'supposed' opposition party.

There's GOT to be just ONE someone in MO who can put up a strong primary challenge should he decide to run for Senate.

Then if the National Party buys him the 'win' - stay home. I don't want that man voting on jack shit for black people (myself) in NJ. He's proven he's worthless and against us.

[jwirr]

20. Don't stay home - leave his name unchecked or vote for any other party on the ballot except the Rs.

If you stay home then a lot of other Democrats running for office in other jobs in your state will get beat and then you have what Ferguson MO has now - a leadership that does not reflect the citizens or worse one that hates the citizens.

[Robbins]

21. MO democratic party doesn't repsente people

In 2016 the choice for governor will be between a conservative Dem or a republican.

I am stuck In teapartyer districk so my vote for house is worthless

MO Isn't going to matter in presidential race.It will be carried by any republican who wins nomination.

And if Hillary is nominee why would i want to cast vote for DINO like her who will lose MO.In 2012 I voted for oBama even though i knew he would lose MO because I wanted my voice heard.With her I have no reason to get out and vote.

Obama has sold out all those like me who suported him over Hillary by going along with endless war In Middle east.

Free trade,corporate tax reform,deregulation,Keystone,selling out the social safety net are not what I voted for.

The people of ferguson are being screwed over by people they voted for.Who needs Republicans when you have democrats like that.

[Sunlei]

15. That State Governor starts a war of threats!

[KingCharlemagne]

22. I discovered after I had posted this here that DailyKos has a couple

threads that simply eviscerate Nixon's press conference yesterday:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/12/1344289/-What-Missouri-Governor-Jay-Nixon-Didn-t-Say-Yesterday

and

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/11/1344155/-Five-observations-about-the-public-safety-press-conference-from-Gov-Jay-Nixon-and-team

Each thread should be read as supplementary reading material and commentary on this news item.

[heaven05]

23. typical 'bluedog' democratic

governor of a red state. Has done nothing, nothing that can be construed as progressive in regard to the Michael Brown execution. Typical of amerikkkan politics and policy governing racial equity and/or justice in 2014.

[KingCharlemagne]

24. Message from the Nixon presser: white property more valuable than

black lives.

Oh, yeah, and let's not forget:

"I'm warning you uppity n*****s."

[heaven05]

26. 10-4 on that, truth

[Ink Man]

27. I see

a cold front with snow hitting the area friday night. They may make an announcement late friday night after the commute home. No school, people at home, cold with snow then close down the roads and stop all public transportation to restrict movement.

just my two cents.

[KingCharlemagne]

29. Interesting. I know there's some serious psy-ops shit going on with the constant

leaking of rumors of imminent decisions and then the stand-downs. Do you think those efforts, should they come to pass on Friday, will be effective in defusing tensions?

[heaven05]

30. it's worth something

in one of my predictions month's back I said that they would wait until it got cold and snowy before they let wilson get a pass on his execution.....of Michael Brown. This POS wilson will walk. Period.

[Odin2005]

28. Classic ConservaDem POS.

[Dawson Leery]

31. Jay Nixon is done in politics.

He will NEVER be a US Senator. The base will not support him after all of this.

[KingCharlemagne]

32. Maybe yesterday's presser was Nixon's way of showing where his true

loyalties lay all along (with private property). Or maybe it's his way of trying to buff up his image for another shot at the national limelight. Either way, he comes across as utterly tone deaf.

By way of contrast, here's what Robert F. Kennedy had to say on the night that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968:

I'm only going to talk to you just for a minute or so this evening, because I have some -- some very sad news for all of you -- Could you lower those signs, please? -- I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens, and people who love peace all over the world; and that is that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings. He died in the cause of that effort. In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it's perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. For those of you who are black -- considering the evidence evidently is that there were white people who were responsible -- you can be filled with bitterness, and with hatred, and a desire for revenge.

We can move in that direction as a country, in greater polarization -- black people amongst blacks, and white amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand, and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand, compassion, and love.

For those of you who are black and are tempted to fill with -- be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man.

But we have to make an effort in the United States. We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond, or go beyond these rather difficult times.

My favorite poem, my -- my favorite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote:

Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget
falls drop by drop upon the heart,
until, in our own despair,
against our will,
comes wisdom
through the awful grace of God.

What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black.

So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King -- yeah, it's true -- but more importantly to say a prayer for our own country, which all of us love -- a prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke.

We can do well in this country. We will have difficult times. We've had difficult times in the past, but we -- and we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it's not the end of disorder.

But the vast majority of white people and the vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings that abide in our land.


And let's dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.

Thank you very much.

(Emphasis added.)

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/rfkonmlkdeath.html

Now why couldn't Jay Nixon have said something like that yesterday, instead of all those racist dog whistles?