THE PAST NEVER REALLY GOES AWAY

For those that say the War Between the States is ancient history and has no bearing on current affairs, welcome to Missouri!!

"City government leaders renewed their push to place the St. Louis Police Department under local control Monday at a lengthy hearing in Jefferson City.

Supporters of the legislation say returning control of the St. Louis police force to City Hall would increase transparency and accountability. Mayor Francis Slay, who has long campaigned for ending the state control, testified before the House Special Committee on Urban Issues in favor of the bill, saying returning the police department to local control would make for a better department...

The St. Louis Police Department Board of Commissioners has run the department since the Civil War, when pro-slavery officials in the capital wanted control of the anti-slavery city's armory. Kansas City is the only other American city of comparable size with a police department controlled by the state."

STL Today

The state was given authority over the St. Louis police by the Federal Government after the elected government of Missouri was driven from the state and a Union puppet government had been installed. The purpose was to protect the arsenal at St. Louis. However, this form of Police Board was common in the country at the time. Most had switched to local control by 1900. But not my beloved state of Missouri.

I really need to read up on this issue if I can find some good history about it. My guess is that since by the early 1880's Missouri politics were once again in firm command of the Southern Democrat interests, they may have found control useful since the real hotbeds of Unionism and Republican support could be found primarily in our two largest cities. Control of the police would have been useful in controlling the polls, along with the use of the local muscle, such as Egan's Rats and later on Harry Truman's benefactor, Boss Tom Pendergast.

Anyway, I just thought that it's interesting how history never really goes away. We are affected by it every day of our lives. Those that fail to pay attention to it do so at their own peril. Nearly everything that is happening today has happened before, to one extent or another. If you want to know what's coming you just have to look backwards to see what has happened.

Learn your history to prepare for our immediate future. We are doing nearly the same things that we did after the 1929 crash, things which deepened the depression and prolonged the pain. Why should it be any different this time around?