Late Monday night, just minutes before tear gas began to be deployed against protesters in Ferguson, Mo., Democrat Gov. Jay Nixon issued a tweet asking the people of Ferguson to “show the world that we can protest peacefully and passionately.” That certainly didn’t happen, but tonight the governor is trying again, this time with a YouTube video “about the difficult but important test facing us all.” He also called for a “vigorous prosecution” (see video at 3:24). Not investigation, but prosecution.
Unfortunately for the governor, his video went over about as well as his tweet.
@GovJayNixon do everyone a favor and shut up.
— Ryan Williams (@RyanWillir1979) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon Looks like you don't believe in innocent until proven guilty.
— ❌GINGER RUSSELL?? (@gingerdr) August 20, 2014
https://twitter.com/3Rides4aQuarter/status/501907447146356736
@GovJayNixon everyone is incredibly disappointed in you for your actions during this whole event. This is your legacy, crumbling right now
— Crypto Chimp???? (@CrypCoinsultant) August 20, 2014
https://twitter.com/Breaking_Obama/status/501907704139362304
@GovJayNixon have Faith in our justice system. Stay the hell out of it!
— BWB (@briondubya) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon folding like a cheap lawn chair.
— Smelly Opossum (@PennyOpossum) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon Wow. So disappointed in you. You don't know what happened. Way to fuel the fire and throw an officer under the bus. Weak man!!
— Lesley (@thisgirlcanshop) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon pffft…what about the business owners that are being looted by the thugs? Great business environment
— Jeff (@janda1701) August 20, 2014
https://twitter.com/TDuke7/status/501908296291590144
https://twitter.com/SociologyGal/status/501908329929506816
https://twitter.com/RyanBLeslie/status/501908536394518528
@GovJayNixon You SPINELESS ASS. #Ferguson #MichaelBrown #kellyfile
— Barbara Ann (@RN4US) August 20, 2014
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@GovJayNixon "vigorous prosecution" ??? You're an embarrassment.
— Ryan Miller (@mlrtme74) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon Your msg was a call for Darren Wilson to be prosecuted before the grand jury has even completed its job. #Ferguson #Stayoutofit
— Jennifer McEyerish (@EyerishLass225) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon @BuzzFeedNews I would move to Missouri just to vote Jay Nixon out of office. What the hell s wrong with this jerk? #idiot
— Yerani Madarasz (@ImYerani) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon What a huge embarrassing failure you have become in recent days. Your recent remarks of vigorous prosecution was uncalled for.
— Jeff Nail (@jeffnail2) August 20, 2014
@GovJayNixon wow, what happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? You should be ashamed of yourself. #ferguson You're the governor?
— eg ??????? (@eagdvm) August 20, 2014
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Update:
Here is a full transcript of Nixon’s remarks:
Message from Gov. Nixon:
“Ten days ago, a police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, in broad daylight. Since then, the world has watched a community become engulfed in grief, anger, fear and at times violence.
For a family mourning the loss of a son, it has been a profound personal tragedy. For Ferguson and our entire nation, it has ripped open old wounds that have festered for generations, and exposed difficult issues that communities across our country must still resolve.
But amid all the pain and distrust and anger, we’ve also seen tremendous acts of grace, courage, and kindness as the people of Ferguson try to maintain peace, while they call for justice for the family of Michael Brown. In Ferguson, people of all races and creeds are joining hands to pray for justice. Teenagers cooking meals for law enforcement officers. Community leaders demonstrating courage and heroism throughout the night in standing against armed and violent instigators. Volunteers coming out to pick up littered neighborhoods.
They are the faces of Ferguson. They are the faces of this region. They are the faces and soul of Missouri.
For them, for the family of Michael Brown, for all the parents who have had their sons taken from them much too soon, and for all the children dreaming of a brighter and better future, we now have a responsibility to come together and do everything we can to achieve justice for this family, peace for this community, and have the courage to address the problems that have divided us for too long. Real problems of poverty, education inequality, and race.
So how do we do that?
First, we must protect the people of Ferguson.
The officers of the Missouri Highway Patrol, St. Louis County, St. Louis City, and other jurisdictions are united in working valiantly to protect the public, while at the same time preserving citizens’ rights to express their anger peacefully.
As we’ve seen over the past week, it is not an easy balance to strike. And it becomes much more difficult in the dark of night, when organized and increasingly violent instigators take to the streets intent on creating chaos and lawlessness.
But we will not be defeated by bricks and guns and Molotov cocktails. With the help of peaceful demonstrators, pastors and community leaders, Captain Johnson and law enforcement will not give up trying to ensure that those with peace in their hearts are not drowned out by those with senseless violence in their hands.
Second, a vigorous prosecution must now be pursued.
The democratically elected St. Louis County prosecutor and the Attorney General of the United States, each have a job to do. Their obligation to achieve justice in the shooting death of Michael Brown must be carried out thoroughly, promptly, and correctly; and I call upon them to meet those expectations.
Finally, once we have achieved peace in Ferguson and justice for the family of Michael Brown, we must remain committed to rebuilding the trust that has been lost, mending what has been broken, and healing the wounds we have endured.
This is hard. Nothing about this is simple. We won’t always get it right, but we’re going to keep trying. Because Ferguson is a test, a test not just for the people of this community, but for all Americans. And it is a test we must not fail.
Last week I met with and prayed with the mother of Michael Brown. She has lost a son who she can never bring back. But what we can do is work together to ensure that Michael Brown’s death is not remembered as the tragedy that sparked a cycle of violence and distrust, but rather marks the beginning of a process of healing and reconciliation.
So I ask that we continue to stand together as we work to achieve justice for Michael Brown, restore hope and peace to the streets of Ferguson, and march together toward a future of greater opportunity and understanding for all of us.”
[Emphasis added.]
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Update:
Even liberal writer Josh Marshall thinks it is nuts for Gov Nixon to be calling for a prosecution.
…this is the Governor of the state, the elected official who has ultimate responsibility for carrying out the laws of the state. It’s simply crazy for him to be saying there has to be a prosecution. It’s so inappropriate that I think it’s highly likely that this is actually an editing error – or someone doing the writing who just didn’t grasp the significance of the word choice.
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