Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) said Thursday that he believes President Barack Obama should declare “martial law” in Ferguson, Mo., where protests against police over the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager have turned violent in recent days.
“My own feeling is, right now, is that President Obama should use the authority of his office to declare martial law,” he told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. “Federalize the Missouri National Guard to protect people as they protest.”
The Georgia congressman and civil rights icon drew a parallel to his own protest experience, arguing that he was spared harm during the Freedom Rides in 1961 because the city of Montgomery, Ala. had been placed under martial law.
“While we were there in that church, for being bombed or burned, and if it hadn’t been for the National Guard ordered there by President Kennedy and the U.S. Marshals, some of us would have died there that night,” he said.
The question is, will a Democrat place a hold the next time the Pentagon’s budget goes through Congress until such time that they shit can this un Constitutional program to militarize police forces.
Baby in Coma After Police ‘Grenade’ Dropped in Crib During Drug Raid
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/05/baby-in-coma-after-police-grenade-dropped-in-crib-during-drug-raid/What “authority” is Lewis talking about? I am unaware of any law that gives the president the right to go into any town and take over absent a violation of a court order or a rebellion. (He might be talking about what Eisenhower did in Little Rock, but Eisenhower used the Army there because the state was using the National Guard to help the schools violate a court desegregation order.That is not the situation in Fergusen.)
It is interesting Lewis, of all people, is taking about this. Yesterday on NPR I heard an interview with a Ferguson “Democratic committee member” (that’s how she was described)who was asked why there are so few elected black officials in Fergussen. She said that out was because the black community does not come out and vote, and she them went on to say that the comity was “disenfranchised.” Well, not exercising the franchise is different from being disenfranchised. I am not saying that not voting means you lose your civil rights, but if you have the power to do something about a situation and you do not, you need to accept some responsibility. I would prefer Sharpton be registering people to vote— and getting them out to vote— in Ferguson rather than doing his usual self-aggrandizing stuff, which does nothing for no one. Imagine what he could do on election day there to get the black community to the polls.
FERGUSON, Mo. (Bloomberg) – Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will announce that St. Louis County law enforcement will be relieved of duty in Ferguson, which has been roiled by protests after the shooting death by police of an unarmed teenager, according to Rep. William Lacy Clay.
“The governor just called me, and he’s on his way to St. Louis now to announce he’s taking away St. Louis County police out of the
situation,” Clay, a Missouri Democrat, said in a telephone interview. He added that Nixon may ask the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to step in.
Clay said that he has been urging U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to “take over the entire situation because we will not get justice for Michael Brown and his family and friends if the St. Louis County police and prosecutor have a say.”
I get where he is coming from emotionally, but the President declaring marital law and suspending all constitutional rights, and sending in the military is not the answer in this case.
Exactly. That is an infinitely better plan of action than declaring martial law (my goodness, imagine the political ramifications of THAT come this fall!)