Tim Jones: People of Ferguson suffering because of Nixon's lack of leadership

In a portion of his latest newsletter, Speaker of the House Tim Jones, R-Eureka, criticizes the performance of Gov. Jay Nixon in the aftermath of Michael Brown's shooting in Ferguson.

It is natural at this point to make a rush to judgment based on what we know about the case so far. But we all have to keep in mind during these trying times that we have a justice system that will work diligently to discern the facts of the entire incident. Until we know the truth of what actually happened, our primary goal should be to keep open minds and to provide whatever support we can to the many innocent people who have seen the place they call home ravaged by violence and looting.

I visited with residents, school children, law enforcement and many other interested parties when I recently visited Ferguson. Ferguson is a familiar place to me. I have family members who reside there and also many friends and colleagues who call that community home. What I saw was a community looking for help in the form of a bold, decisive leader willing to make the tough but necessary decisions to restore peace and stability to the area. Sadly, the current governor was largely MIA during the early stages of the unrest, and then bumbled and stumbled his way from one misstep to the next once he did become involved.

The governor’s mishandling of the Ferguson situation has drawn heavy criticism from folks not just here in the state, but around the country, from all aspects of the political spectrum. Even a prominent liberal political reporter, Elizabeth Clift, devoted an entire column cataloguing the governor’s mishandling of the events in Ferguson. From his prolonged delay in responding, to his epic blunder in calling for a “vigorous prosecution” rather than an investigation, the governor’s responses have in many cases made things worse rather than better.

Sadly, the people of Ferguson are the ones suffering because of this lack of leadership. My hope is that, at the very least, we can learn from many of these mistakes to ensure similar missteps are not taken in the future. This was not an easy situation for anyone to respond to, and I do acknowledge that the governor was placed in a very difficult situation, but to see him stumble so many times in recent weeks has served as a reminder that we need better leadership for our entire state. Until we have it, other leaders must step into the void and work hard as we all pray for the best for the people of Ferguson.