4/8 Letters: Gerrymandering is a seawall to ‘blue wave’

Much has been said in the media recently about the Democratic “blue wave” – the energy and activism of Democrats and recent victories in special elections around the country – and the projected effect of the wave on the midterm elections in November. But just as seawalls are built to reflect ocean waves and protect the property behind them, legislative and congressional districts are gerrymandered to protect the ruling party from waves – blue or red.

The New York University Law School’s Brennan Center for Justice just released a report, Extreme Gerrymandering & the 2018 Midterm. It shows how difficult it will be for the Democratic blue wave to overcome the gerrymandered “seawall”. In North Carolina in 2016 with 47 percent of the vote, the Democrats were able to win only 3 of our 13 congressional seats. The report estimates that to win just one additional seat in November, the Democratic vote would have to be 53 percent – quite a stretch. Similarly, the gerrymandered seawall erected by Democrats in Maryland will provide protection and prevent Republicans from being fairly represented there.

Until gerrymandering is ended, no North Carolinian will ever be fairly represented in our General Assembly or in the U.S. House.

Give sancutary

Regarding “Trump says military will guard US border” (Apr. 4): What kind of a nation have we become? We read that more than 1,000 people, mostly Honduran women and children, are fleeing violence and poverty in their homelands. This is a global humanitarian crisis, not a security crisis, for the United States.

Just as the migrants started north on March 25th – Palm Sunday – the Pilgrimage for Justice and Peace began our trip across North Carolina in support of refugees and migrants. We walked from Asheville to Raleigh. Along the way we visited all five people currently in sanctuary here in North Carolina. There are now five more churches ready to welcome our immigrant brothers and sisters.

The United States is a nation of immigrants, yet we do not welcome our immigrant brothers and sisters who are fleeing violence and poverty in their native countries. For Christians, the call from Jesus is clear regarding immigrants. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” Jesus says in Matthew’s Gospel. “Whatever you do to these my brethren, you do to me.”

We call on policymakers to use their influence to address this human rights crisis. We call on President Trump to stop the negative rhetoric and stop the deportations, and extend a welcome to our neighbors who are from south of the border. We call on Congress to enact fair and humane immigration reform. We call on people of goodwill to rise up and cry out: “These are our brothers and sisters – we will stand beside them.”

Drop NRA funding

Senators Thom Tillis, Richard Burr and their fellow senators have accepted millions in NRA money. They have consistently voted against sensible gun control – the one proven solution to mass shootings. The NRA promotes a response to shooters that provokes a crossfire. Why? It sells more guns.

The NRA is the market organizer for gun manufacturers. It has Burr and Tillis firmly in its grip, and apparently they’re fine with that. Their involvement with the NRA trades our and our children’s right to live unarmed and free of the threat of crossfire for the ego of assault-rifle hobbyists.

I enjoy shooting. I’m good at it. My father was a member of the NRA when it was about responsible gun ownership and pretty much apolitical. That NRA no longer exists. Sensible regulation will maintain recreational gun use and eliminate legal proliferation of war weapons. This makes no sense to Burr and Tillis, as evidenced by their deafening silence, inaction and voting record. They deny logic due to the corruption of NRA dollars.

But they are being awakened from their slumber. Their constituency is shifting. They must wean themselves from the NRA.

This story was originally published April 7, 2018 at 6:00 PM with the headline "4/8 Letters: Gerrymandering is a seawall to ‘blue wave’."