This is not clever

Governor Jay Nixon, seemingly a timorous man who’s willing to let law enforcement tell him how to govern his state, today activated his state’s National Guard and declared a state of emergency prior to a grand jury’s announcement of its decision in the case of a white cop shooting an unarmed black kid to death in Ferguson, Mo.

I think we can assume that he’s been persuaded the grand jury is going to refuse to indict the cop, Darren Wilson, despite the overwhelming evidence that he shot Michael Brown, wouldn’t you say?

I get that you don’t want to sway the decision one way or another, but this is a pretty provocative thing to do. As Charlie Pierce says, this will not end well.

This is a threat, pure and simple, and it is not aimed at people on both sides of this issue. In fact, it is a rather clear indication that Nixon feels that the grand jury is going to no-bill Wilson, and that Nixon is telling anyone who may be angered by that development that he is willing to do almost anything to keep their responses in check. In an academic sense, this seems a wise precaution. In the context of what already has happened in Ferguson, an unwarranted police shooting followed by loud protests, followed by a militarized police response aimed at citizens and at journalists, followed by rioting, Nixon is pretty clearly picking sides here.

Yessiree Bob, I think so. I also think that at the first sign of trouble after the decision is announced the cops are going to take this executive order as carte blanche to thump any [black] head they want to, fire as many flash-bang or tear-gas grenades as they feel like firing, and haul their BearCat vehicle with its .50 caliber machine gun out of the garage to threaten the citizens.

3 Comments

  1. What’s troubling to me about the whole Ferguson issue is that it seems to be making people think, as usual, that everything’s got to be extremes.

    First, that it’s either Michael Brown was a saint… or he was rightfully shot.
    If you’re concerned his being shot was problematic, that means you think his behavior in the store video is “okay”.
    If you think that the shooting itself was possibly justifiable… that means you think it’s okay that police tend to shoot African Americans a lot, or that you think it was okay to violently shut down protest, including against people standing in their own back yards, or that you think the disgusting racist comments made by some police are okay.

    Like if you support police – you have to support them ALL. No matter what they do.
    Like if you find it troubling what’s going on in Ferguson, that you’re somehow “anti-police”.

    It’s such B.S.
    I believe in the police. I think we should better support our police departments.
    But I find racial disparities, civil forfeiture, and militarization very abhorrent.
    I think it’s 2 sides of the same coin. I think if our police were not given perverse incentives, low funding, and such, a lot of the troubles would actually be less likely to be happening.

    A recent story about the PA Attorney General’s Mobile Street Crimes Unit, the lead officer was quoted as saying,
    “We’re going to be wreaking havoc and locking up anyone we can.”
    and the article ends with him saying:
    “It’s a lot of work and long hours, but it’s a lot of fun.”

    This really bothers me. I don’t think that’s the proper attitude toward the public.
    I think police ought to be keeping the peace, and maintaining a dignified attitude toward the public when on duty, in uniform, or speaking as a police officer. Especially to a member of the press for a blatant puff piece.

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