Johnson County officials rebuke commissioner for saying buy guns, prepare for war
Four of Johnson County’s seven commissioners on Thursday agreed to rebuke Commissioner Mike Brown for a weekend Facebook post where he warned of impending anarchy and a “coming war.”
He wrote the post following the shooting of two sheriff’s deputies in California. Brown, who is up for reelection in November, warned of a violent uprising and conflict with the left, then told his constituents to “buy a firearm and ammunition” and “learn how to safely use it to defend yourself and your property.”
“I’d rather fight and die than live in their dictated world. And right now I’ve got my own war drum — and I’m waiting for the other side to give me reason to pound on it. And I will. Say when. Don’t tread on me,” Brown wrote.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on Monday tweeted, “At a time when heated rhetoric rarely surprises me, I have to admit shock in seeing something like this from a local elected. Gross distortions; encouraging constituents to prepare for armed war w/ political opponents? This is reckless. This is racist. This is wrong. Just stop.”
Many others condemned Brown, arguing the post was heightening social unrest, misleading constituents and inciting violence.
Brown said, in an email to The Star, that he was “only speaking out against violence and calling on other electeds, community leaders and citizens to do the same.”
In a 4-3 vote, Chairman Ed Eilert, along with Commissioners Jim Allen, Janeé Hanzlick and Becky Fast, approved a resolution saying the rest of the board does not approve of Brown’s comments. It states that the commission does support free speech and the right to bear arms, but also “advocates for all of Johnson County and should do so in a manner that promotes understanding and unity.”
“Words that are easily understood to imply that our public safety agencies cannot keep our community safe should be rejected,” said Allen, who authored the resolution. “Commissioners should also show respect for the diversity of our county workforce and larger community.”
Eilert added that words and the tone used to convey them “do matter.”
“This is not the time for creating chaos, confusion, polarization and channels of misinformation,” Eilert said.
Brown did not abstain from the vote. He, along with Commissioners Steve Klika and Michael Ashcraft, voted against the resolution.
Brown, who represents much of Olathe and western Johnson County, apologized to commissioners during the meeting for the firestorm and deluge of emails. And he said that if he could go back and change a few words, he probably would. Facebook users can edit their posts, but screenshots of Brown’s words have been shared on social media. The Facebook post is no longer publicly accessible.
Brown also said that many people supported his post and that The Star and its editorial board “twisted” his words and tried to do a “hit job on me.” The Star wrote about the post after it was widely shared and criticized on social media, including by Lucas.
He argued that Lucas “took a cheap shot at me” when he called Brown racist. “For people to call me a racist is insulting at a crazy level,” he said.
Brown first took a shot at Lucas in the post, where he accused the mayor, along with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and other Democratic leaders, of staying “silent” on acts of violence, adding that “They are weak. They are not leaders.”
Brown contended that, “My post was very clear that violence is unacceptable by any American, against any American, for any reason.”
Klika and Ashcraft said they were uncomfortable with reprimanding Brown over his comments, although they may not agree with the phrasing. Klika warned it was a “slippery slope.”
“Whether I agree with it or not, I don’t have the right to take away their opinion and their ability to say this,” Klika said. “We’re in a very sensitive time. I hear the attacks going on nationwide. And it seems like someone from the conservative side says something wrong, then you’ve got a whole lot of liberals who just crucify it and don’t even get the message right, and vice versa.”
But Eilert and Hanzlick emphasized it was important to let the public know that the commission as a whole does not support Brown’s message.
“I condemn the message of violence and distrust in the strongest possible way,” Hanzlick said.
“I agree we have a war to fight in Johnson County, but it’s not a war against each other. It’s a war against our common enemies, including poverty, racial inequality, limited housing access, COVID-19 and unemployment,” she said. “I wish we could all bring as much passion to fighting these enemies as we do to fighting perceived political enemies.”
Brown is running for reelection this November, facing opponent Shirley Allenbrand, a member of the Olathe planning commission.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 12:23 PM.
