Yes, Gerrymandering Is As Bad As It Sounds…
The word gerrymandering has an antebellum quality to it, and makes one ruminate on other anachronistic words from another time, such as scallywag and carpetbagger. While the latter words carried derogatory meanings, they were eventually ushered from the lexicon of average Americans and largely forgotten about. However, gerrymandering has survived and is thriving in the American political system, despite being far more nefarious in nature than its two aforementioned and extinct utterances. They are all words from the same era, the period of America’s past preceding the Civil War.
One could argue that most of the bad ideas and practices from this period of history have rightfully fallen out of vogue, except gerrymandering. There are some circles in certain political parties that fear the word gerrymandering because it invokes negative connotations. Their fears are not without merit, as gerrymandering is a horrendous practice. Instead of calling it gerrymandering, the phrase partisan redistricting has become the standard in political playbooks. Do not allow yourselves to be cajoled by this farcical switching of words! The politicians in favor of gerrymandering are trying to pass off fool’s gold as genuine 24K gold because partisan redistricting and gerrymandering are the exact same thing.
Gerrymandering is flagrantly and exceedingly unethical because it is a process that manipulates the physical boundaries of voting districts. This provides the party drawing the congressional maps a distinct and obvious advantage against their political opponents. The topic of gerrymandering is very germane to the present because in a few months, the Texas GOP will redraw the maps when the full census results are reported. This is a process which takes place once a decade.
Furthermore, it’s a deeply undemocratic process because politicians are essentially choosing their constituents, instead of being elected without an advantage, albeit a completely legal advantage. Seeing is believing and the following graphic is a real map of Texas, which demonstrates how the Texas GOP has created one of the most egregiously gerrymandered congressional districts in the country. This district is represented by Dan Crenshaw in the United States Congress.
Houston is one of the most racially diverse cities in America and this gerrymandered map is evidence of that vital information not being lost on the Texas GOP, which is why Crenshaw’s district stretches from hither, thither, and yon. It’s following the rules and as long as the contiguous geographical area of the map is uninterrupted, it’s completely legal.
People may wonder why politicians would do this, and the answer is simple: POWER. Instead of advocating for the policies of their party and bringing more people to their side with substantive messaging, it’s easier for them to simply take it, by any means necessary. The country is more politically divided than it has been since the days before WWII. The GOP has largely propagated the Big Lie from the 2020 election and scores of states have passed damning voting legislation to tip the scales in their favor at the ballot box, when there is categorically no evidence that fraud was committed that had any impact on the election results.
They are carrying on with this lie because the Republican Party has not won the popular vote in the general election with a non-incumbent candidate since 1988, but once. While the GOP has lost the White House, The Senate, and The House during the Trump Administration, they still have a stranglehold on a lot of state legislatures. This is particularly true in Texas.
This is why local and state elections are far more consequential to the lives of everyday citizens, than the legislation which comes out of Capitol Hill. This year alone, the Texas Legislature has passed some of the most arcane and unfathomable policies in recent months, including a bill that allows anyone but violent felons to carry a gun without having a permit, a bill mandating that sports teams play the National Anthem if they receive tax subsidies from the state, a fetal heartbeat bill that would essentially outlaw almost all abortions after 6 weeks, and mandate harsher penalties for the doctor performing the procedure than the assailant in cases where conception was achieved through sexual assault.
These are not bills that are supported or even wanted by a majority of Texans. Texans want a power grid that is not going to collapse like it came from the same era that introduced us to gerrymandering, leaving tens of millions without power during freezing temperatures well-below zero and forcing taxpaying Texans to huddle in parks to find clean water. Texans want politicians that are listening to their constituents and bringing forth legislation that is going to increase the well-being and opportunity for all Texans. But unfortunately, the Texas GOP has a super majority in the Texas State House and Senate. This means they can easily ram through these highly-partisan policies with little incentive to work with their democratic counterparts across the aisle. Furthermore, it means they are not accountable to Texan citizens. This is the result of gerrymandering.
The Texas GOP has created a situation where they are above accountability to their constituents. Texans protesting in the street, calling their representatives on the phone, writing letters doesn’t mean much to these politicians. These are all methods that should continue and grow in their attempts because having one’s voice be heard is paramount in a democracy. But the ultimate and most impactful message is voting at the state and local election ballot boxes. Turnout in state and local elections is an infinitesimal portion compared to participation in the general election. This is one of the reasons why the Texas GOP has had such an overwhelming and enduring presence in local politics.
If everyone started participating in state and local elections, especially younger people and BIPOC, the reign of Texas GOP candidates in the Texas Legislature would become endangered and possibly extinct, and the same for gerrymandering. Texas is one of the fastest growing states and is so rich in diversity. It needs to be represented by politicians who share the values and ideas of its constituents. Texas doesn’t need politicians who want to pass legislation that resembles something from an era where words like carpetbagging and scallywag were the norm.
