OPINION:
“Justice Department sues Texas, claiming redistricting maps are discriminatory” (Web, Dec. 6) reports the facts but not the truth regarding gerrymandering as it has existed in Virginia and likely also in Texas.
If anyone studies any of the nation’s voting district maps, they will see strange anomalies in the way district borders were drawn. There are actually a few ’islands’ carved out of neighboring districts and many odd fingers or peninsulas extending from one district into another. There can be no doubt that these were not created by accident, and that no political party is wholly innocent of historical gerrymandering.
In a fair and overt democratic nation, all district borders should follow natural physical contours. These contours have historically delineated population areas. Roads, streams, rivers and topography should be the only rational for inclusion of one area into a specific district. The political makeup of any area should never be considered in establishing voting districts, and any party attempting to include or exclude any area is guilty of gerrymandering.
Just as referring to anyone’s race in a social context should not be tolerated, referring to anyone’s political affiliation in establishing voting districts should not be tolerated. A truly free and democratic society would let the chips fall where they may.
JACK DUCKWORTH
Burke, Va.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.