Lyndon B. Johnson Quotes

This general perception led the Founding Fathers to place profound restrictions on the allowable role of the military in national law enforcement—a condition that exists to this day.

J. Edgar Hoover, the racist FBI Director, and the Chief of Police of the all white Washington DC Police Force, had made phone calls and sent memos to as many important people they could reach, warning that there was bound to be violence if 100,00 militant Blacks tried to march on Washington. There were twice that number planned for by Bayard Rustin, the man in charge of the March planning, but 250,000 showed up. There were very few incidents and no injuries and deaths as a result of some brilliant planning by Rustin and the cooperation of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy—the President’s brother—with Rustin. However, the fear spread by Hoover and others caused the major league baseball games to be cancelled, liquor stores to be closed, stores and offices throughout the city were intimidated and closed. But it was one of the best organized and peaceful social/political demonstrations in history.

Two protesters were killed. The demonstration so affected the government that they pressured the Belfast local authorities to announce substantial increases in relief. The economy and the employment picture got no better that year.

In earlier years it was common practice to use undercover agents to hand out disinformation pamphlets and false rumors to confuse and diffuse crowds gathering for demonstrations. The policy was abandoned. In 2006 a September 11 report surfaced {589485} where the practice had been recommended to be resurrected. The official spokesman denied that it had, but worded the denial in a way that led many to believe that the practice had been resumed. Note that he did not say that non-police officers did not do this for the police department. That left the door open for non police officer agents of the department to spread disinformation at the behest of the police department. It employed thousands of civilian, non officer personnel, and always had many paid informants and agents.

In the 2004 Iraq war, some accused the United States and Britain of failing to perform this obligation. However, in those instances where they did, others claimed the right of resistance including bombing their own co-religionists and fellow citizens. Likewise, many of the same forces that castigated the allies for not ensuring public order and safety often also castigated Israel for enforcing public order and safety in the West Bank and Gaza.

Lincoln had instituted the first draft in American History and it was terribly resented by many Americans. The draft laws allowed the wealthy and upper middle class to avoid service by paying a $300 fee of hiring a substitute just like in the Vietnam War the upper classes could get College Draft deferments. The mob led mostly by poor Irish, began by protesting the draft; then they attacked the mansions and houses of the wealthy; and then they went after Blacks. The Irish poor feared large numbers of Negroes coming out of slavery and competing for their jobs and lowering the prevailing wages. Blacks were beaten and lynched and 5,000 almost half of the then Negro population were driven to Brooklyn, New Jersey and the New York suburbs. It was the worst riot in United States History.

Defending his administration and the Chicago police against the charge that they used excessive force and caused a police riot during the Democratic National Convention of 1968:

The Police Commissioner had earlier given the green light to the police to use their clubs brutally and indiscriminately {626665} and afterwards made a statement that has been quoted ever since as he justified violating the Constitution because of their political views—see {626664}.

This quote is often cited to imply that Luther endorsed rioting which is not the case. See the related quotes from the same speech for the larger context of the quote which makes clear Luther’s true views of the unproductiveness and destructiveness of rioting.

The demonstration was on August 8, 1643. There are several important aspects to this quotation. First, it shows that a peace movement is not only a creature of modern times. Second, that women were actively involved in political protests and demonstrations in 17th century England. Last, that the police of the time behaved as brutally as many police forces do in later centuries in putting down and surpressing demonstrations.

After the report was produced someone had handwritten “Draft” on it. The technique of using government agents to spread disinformation to Americans has always been very controversial. The NYPD claims that despite this report, it is the policy of the department not to allow officers to disseminate disinformation. See {589484}. He did not say that civilian agents or paid informants did not do it for the department.