Gov. Jay Nixon: 'Situation in Ferguson does not represent who we are'

Late Wednesday night, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) turned to Twitter to share his thoughts on the situation unfolding in Ferguson.

Nixon didn't make any public remarks on Michael Brown's Saturday killing until Tuesday, when he met with religious leaders, MSNBC reports. He has asked for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the shooting, and his spokesperson, Scott Holste, told MSNBC that "since Monday morning, the governor has been communicating with many community, faith, and civic leaders."

Activists — both on Twitter and on the ground — are saying his relative silence speaks volumes. NAACP national board member John Gaskin III invited Nixon to a Monday night rally, and believes it is "inexcusable" that he did not attend. "I know the governor has a lot of business to handle," he told MSNBC. But "for him to have not been there really says what his priorities are."

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A longtime political foe, State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal (D), joined a protest carrying a picture of Nixon with the words "M.I.A. [Missing in Action] Again" across his forehead. "It's the governor who is allowing these kids to be further victimized and harassed for expressing their First Amendment rights," she told MSNBC. "The governor doesn't care about black people or the black community unless it's politically expedient."