A couple of bits of history…
- A band of Republican businessmen – unhappy with the elected Democrat sheriff – declare themselves able to appoint a town Marshall, a man with a questionable past who quickly uses nepotism to fill his force, thence offers a badge to a renowned gunman suspected of multiple murders. The Marshall then goes to enforce a vague “ordinance.” The result is three dead and the Marshall’s crew arrested for murder. The businessmen bail them out then bring in a friendly judge who drops the charges.
- A local politician, backed by clergy and other friends, begins a peaceful protest and boycott when his constituents find themselves arbitrarily prohibited from most jobs. A couple of workers even lose their jobs as the discrimination becomes more pronounced. Police break-up the protests – to the delight of the media – with the protester arrested, tried and convicted.
Well, obviously the first item recounts the Earp family’s version of law enforcement in Tombstone, Arizona. When the city Marshall situation deteriorated, those same Republican businessmen got Wyatt Earp appointed a federal Marshall – who still had to stay away from warrants issued by elected sheriffs and judges.
August 30, 2022 marks the 59th anniversary of the Jefferson Bank protests in St. Louis, an effort led by then Alderman and later Congressman Bill Clay over the objections of KMOX, the St. Louis Post Dispatch and pretty much every member of the downtown establishment. The police time and again arrested protesters and then sent them before a friendly judge to have them found guilty. [See Roy Malone’s excellent summary at https://labortribune.com/historic-jefferson-bank-protests-paved-way-for-civil-rights-progress-in-st-louis/]
We learn in school that law enforcement enforces duly passed laws. Reality gets messier. Police more correctly preserve the establishment’s social order, the establishment mostly consisting of rich and powerful white guys. That’s why the history of American policing includes labor strikers getting clubbed, blacks getting hit with fire hoses, anti-war protesters getting tear gassed and shot, gays being…you get the idea.
Now, we can’t just blame the rich white guys. Many of those drawn to law enforcement want a black and white world with enforced order. Their thin blue line ought to be allowed to do what they know needs to be done to keep everyone in their place.
Keeping everyone is their place is also a tenet of modern Republicans. Note how the Missouri legislature knows that obscene books are in school libraries, and, they certainly know what’s best for a pregnant women. This approach goes all the way to the Republicans’ greatest bastion of power, the United States Supreme Court. There is no right to privacy yet we all get to have assault rifles.
Anyway, this comes up because the county Republicans needed to replace a primary winner who took a new job. Bruce DeGroot of Chesterfield is being replaced on the ballot for a state representative seat by Sgt. Justin Sparks, an active duty member of the St. Louis County Police. He joins 2018 candidate and active cop Joe Patterson who also ran for the state house. And, let’s not forget former chief Tim Fitch who won a seat on the county council as a Republican. While they have a union and expect their labor brothers and sisters to support them in dealing with the county, the county police really are an adjunct of the Republican Party. I bet most voted for Donald Trump twice.
I’m sure Sgt. Sparks will fight hard to win that traditionally Republican district, and, rest assured if he gets to Jefferson City he will be tireless in efforts to preserve the correct social order.
Glenn Koenen
Head image source: St. Louis County Facebook page