Ferguson: Returning to Popular Sovereignty through Rhetorical Protest

© Media Watch 7 (3) 354-362, 2016
ISSN 0976-0911 e-ISSN 2249-8818
DOI: 10.15655/mw/2016/v7i3/48550
 

Ferguson: Returning to Popular Sovereignty through Rhetorical Protest

MARK GOODMAN, FRANK BRADFORD & SHANE WARREN
Mississippi State University, USA
 
Abstract
Riots broke out in Ferguson, Missouri (USA) after a white police officer shot and killed a black citizen of Ferguson. We explain how a breakdown of popular sovereignty in Ferguson contributed to the preexisting hostility in Ferguson. The rhetorical appeal of “Black Lives Matter” will hopefully lead to the restoration of a democratic municipal government in Ferguson and trust among its citizens.
 
Keywords: Popular sovereignty, Ferguson, surveillance, Black Lives Matter
 
Notes
 
1http://www.iep.utm.edu/locke/
2http://www.philosophyslam.org/rousseau.html
3http://americainclass.org/sources/makingrevolution/crisis/text6/bostonpamphlet.pdf
4We have posted the preambles at http://130.18.140.19/preambles.pdf
5Davey, M. (8 February 2015), Ferguson one of 2 Missouri suburbs sued over gantlet of traffic fines and jail, The New York Times. Healy, J., Stolberg, S.G., & Yee, V. (5 March 2015), Ferguson reports puts ‘Hands Up’ to reality test, The New York Times. Ross, P. (28 November 2014), Ferguson shooting: UN torture committee condemns US for ‘Excessive’ force in law enforcement, The New York Times. Shapiro, J. (25 August 2014), In Ferguson, court fines and fees fuel anger, National Public Radio. Smith, M. (8 May 2015), Missouri lawmakers limit revenue from traffic fines in St. Louis area, The New York Times. Mordecai, A. (24 November 2014), The truth about the Ferguson case that some people really can’t accept, The Upworthy. Balko, R. (16 October 2014), Why we need to fix St. Louis County, The Washington Post.
6https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/10/16/why-we-need-to-fix-st-louis/
7http://www.npr.org/2014/08/25/343143937/in-ferguson-court-fines-and-fees-fuel-anger
8http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/12/us/5-things-ferguson-missouri/
9http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/09/ferguson-council-meets/15370001/
10http://www.city-data.com/income/income-St.-Louis-Missouri.html
11Ehrenfreund, M. (20 August 2014), How decades of criminal records hold back towns like Ferguson, The Washington Post.
12http://burawoy.berkeley.edu/syllabus/gramsci_syllabus.pdf
13http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/mo/st-louis/crime/
14http://www.vox.com/2014/8/11/5988925/mike-brown-killing-shooting-case-ferguson-police-riots-st-louis
15A grand jury concluded that Brown did not try to surrender. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ post-partisan/wp/2015/03/16/lesson-learned-from-the-shooting-of-michael-brown/
16http://www.westernjournalism.com/the-guy-who-started-the-michael-brown-hands-up-dont-shoot-lie-is-in-trouble-again/
17http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug /14/ferguson-police-military-restraints-violence-weaponry-missouri
18http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140820-editorial-ferguson-militants-make-a-bad-situation-worse.ece
19http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/michael-brown-shooting/missouri -gov-puts-highway-patrol-charge-ferguson-n180891
20http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/capt-ron-johnson-marches-protesters-ferguson-article-1.1904210
21http:/ / a bcnew s. g o . com/ US/shots -fi r ed- fer guson – ami d – yea r – a nni versa r y – mi cha el – br owns/ story?id=32984024
22http://www.kshb.com/new s/local-news/one-year-later-ferguson-changed-but-community-activists-continue-work. http://ksmu.org/post/after-ferguson-area-church-leaders-push-greater-understanding-race-and-faith#stream/0
23http:/ / w w w. justi ce . g ov/si tes/ defa ul t/ fi l es/ opa / pr ess – r el ea ses/a tta chments/2 0 1 5/0 3 /0 4/ ferguson_police_department_report.pdf
24http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/08/15/how-ferguson-exposes-the-racial-bias-in-local-elections/
25http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/04/07/ferguson-voters-head-to-polls/25401037/
26http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/09/us/missouri-lawmakers-agree-to-limit-revenue-from-traffic-fines.html
27http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ferguson-9-year-old-girl-shot-dead-homework-bed-article-1.2331544
28http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/quiet-start-day-after-fires-tear-gas-in-wake-of/ article_9eae9155-9f8e-5296-b836-45326918fda3.html
29http://www.kmov.com/story/29834250/girl-9-killed-mother-injured-in-ferguson-shooting
 
 
Dr. Mark Goodman is a professor of communication at Mississippi State University, USA. His research interests include media effects and media law.
Dr. Shane Warren is a researcher within the Office of Research at Mississippi State
University, USA.
Frank Bradford is working on his masters degree in Political Science and Public Policy at Mississippi State University, USA