The Limits of Local Government
Wednesday July 9, 2008
My mayor--Jackson, Mississippi's Frank Melton--was indicted earlier today by the U.S. Department of Justice for civil rights violations and on charges of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Last year, he was acquitted on related state charges for the same incident, in which he allegedly organized the destruction of an occupied duplex.
This local story highlights, for me and for other Jackson residents, the important role that the Department of Justice plays in protecting civil rights. Whether we're talking about the beating of Rodney King, the shooting of Sean Bell (though federal charges have not yet been announced in that case), or the many less widely-publicized incidents affecting smaller cities all over the country, local governments can't be relied upon to investigate and prosecute their own. Without these investigations and prosecutions, there is no system of accountability for local officials who violate citizens' rights. And with no system of accountability, there is no enforceable standard of equal protection, there is no enforceable standard of due process, and there is no enforceable standard of civil rights.
This is why a pure Tenth Amendment system, as advocated by some right-wing libertarians such as Ron Paul, is inadequate. A system in which a sufficiently popular local public official can do anything with impunity is not a system that respects individual civil liberties.
This local story highlights, for me and for other Jackson residents, the important role that the Department of Justice plays in protecting civil rights. Whether we're talking about the beating of Rodney King, the shooting of Sean Bell (though federal charges have not yet been announced in that case), or the many less widely-publicized incidents affecting smaller cities all over the country, local governments can't be relied upon to investigate and prosecute their own. Without these investigations and prosecutions, there is no system of accountability for local officials who violate citizens' rights. And with no system of accountability, there is no enforceable standard of equal protection, there is no enforceable standard of due process, and there is no enforceable standard of civil rights.
This is why a pure Tenth Amendment system, as advocated by some right-wing libertarians such as Ron Paul, is inadequate. A system in which a sufficiently popular local public official can do anything with impunity is not a system that respects individual civil liberties.
Comments
Using a fire arm during the commission of a violent crime is not a federal case. Its a case for the state (Mississippi) to deal with. If say the governor (arguably the highest office in the state) were to commit a crime, than it would be expected that the state’s justice system would deal with it, and if not the people could always move to recall him from office. It doesn’t take the fed to deal with this stuff.