Twenty Twenty was already going to be a pretty important year. Not only is it a Presidential Election Year. But, and just as important it’s our decennial, and therefore it’s time for The Census. The Great Count as I like to call it leads to the top of my list: Gerrymandering.

Broken politics can be rough

Gerrymandering. First successfully completed by Elbridge Gerry.

Mr. Gerry. That’s where the term originates. Since we are here with the wings added it does look like a dragon, right? Or is that just me?

Jerry rigged

I first head the term uttered by my grandfather, Jerry. I thought it was a Jerryism*. Or at the very least a self deprecating term to use as to accept praise for a job well done. All the while knowing the engineering liberties used to complete a job.

Our Forefathers brought to this country many ideas about democracy. A great count of our population was part of the plan. It’s been going on since 1790. It’s a complete waste of time and money now considering all the information we are forced to, and voluntarily give up throughout the course of any given day, week, month, or year to our own government and tech companies. But, it still is important in terms of our overall health care, infrastructure, and educational funding formulas. It’s really important to one group of lovely people. Those would be the Gerrymanders’. It’s done by both sides. Big R’s have controlled the lines here in Indiana. But, and here’s the problem here in Indiana is that they want to keep this as partisan as possible. Don’t let them. Demand Governor Holcomb appoint a bi partisan task force, committee, or zoom group when redrawing our lines for the next ten years.

Every ten years we give up information so it can be manipulated into political lines that equal political power and will in this country. In Indiana it’s typically been a Big R thing. My entire life my home state has been a little b.

We will redraw our political lines, shift numbers between states, move local jurisdiction lines to shift around from Red, Pink, Blue, Purple, and apparently now green. Me, I’m running a green campaign on a yellow and black ticket. I’m an Independent guy running as a Libertarian. Imagine if there were a few yellow or green dots to go along with all that red and blue. The formula basically would get thrown out of the window and 1 vote could equal 1 vote from sea to shinning sea. Then up and down the Rockies, over multiple oceans to tiny islands, and even a few reservations still on property.

We give away power, or we allow this inequality all in the name of the status quo. Because of that these lines and boundaries that more often than not resemble an amoeba more than a human. Much like water these lines follow the path of least political resistance and we end up with maps that look like this and more of the same politically speaking.

Cracking or packing is wrong

I hope in my lifetime if we don’t fix Gerrymandering than at least we will be open to a ranked choice ballot. Especially, if we as a country seem to be basically fine with making a binary decisions in a non binary world. I think this is a great visual of how Gerrymandering basically works.

Ranked choice voting is the way of the future for those of us who care about our voice in politics but can’t afford, or choose not to financially support any political party. When I explain the idea to my friends and families it takes awhile. So here’s a video I’d love for you to watch if you’ve made it this far you might as well check it out.

Just something to think about.

Ken