Former Gov. Jay Nixon condemns political violence during speech at Westminster College in Fulton
Erika McGuire
FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)
Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon delivered a speech Wednesday afternoon at Westminster College as part of the annual Hancock Symposium.
His speech focused on pressing national issues including political violence, democracy and misinformation, with a strong emphasis on “justice for all.”
The Hancock Symposium is a two-day event held on the Westminster campus, featuring lectures, panel discussions, and presentations by prominent experts.
Speaking to an audience of more than 100 people, Nixon — who served as governor from 2009-17 and nearly two decades as the state’s attorney general — reflected on the role of justice during his time in public service.
“Seeking justice was never hypothetical, it was our guiding star, as attorney general in the pursuit of justice was specific to the individual, it was as real as the anguish,” Nixon said.
Nixon, a Democrat, acknowledged the public killing of Charlie Kirk, a conservative political commentator who routinely spoke on college campuses around the country. .
“Our democracy and our world again face the rising threat of political violence, extremism and oppression,” Nixon said. “In the past few days along, we have witnessed the tragic assassination of a young activist on a college campus and the incursion into the sovereign native nation by an emboldened communist superpower in Washington and across the country, we see the hallmarks of democracy under strain.”
After his lecture, Nixon spoke with members of the media and addressed questions about the root causes of political violence in the United States. He pointed to the increasingly divisive and political discourse.
“The hotness and the lack of truth and honesty and communication between shows designed by groups to actually make people madder, that’s a pretty ingrained challenge right now,” Nixon said. “These are long-term problems that are going to require long-term solutions.”
Earlier this month, Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session of the Missouri Legislature at the request of former President Donald Trump, aiming to redraw the state’s congressional maps, with a goal for republicans to gain an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Last week, lawmakers passed the “Missouri First Map” that divides the Kansas City area into three districts and moves the 5th congressional district eastward to include parts of northern Boone County.
When asked about how a governor should respond to a president’s request to redraw congressional maps, Nixon said former governors don’t need to be involved.
“There are plenty of critics for governors, you’ve got 5.5 million people,” Nixon said. “Former governors don’t need to be the critics. If they need me to help with something, I will. If I disagree with them, they’ll know I disagree, but I’m not going to broadcast it,”
Trump has also deployed the Nation Guard to Washington D.C. and has suggested deploying them to other cities like St. Louis, Detroit and Chicago.
When asked about the deployment of the National Guard, Nixon referred to his time in office, which included civil unrest after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson.
“I don’t want to comment on any of the tactics, I didn’t ever think about using the National Guard as a law enforcement agency. I thought we had those, but that’s just me,” Nixon said.