Doing It Right, For A Change

THE GREAT STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA has eighteen congressional districts, and the number of democrats and republicans is very nearly equal, a true "purple" state. And yet, there are currently thirteen republicans and only five democrats in the Pennsylvania congressional delegation. this is no accident. After the 2010 census, when every state makes whatever adjustments to its districting map dictated by demographic changes, the republicans were in control of Pennsylvania, and deliberately redrew the map so as to elect as many republicans and as few democrats as possible. This is done by squeezing democrats into districts which might enhance their chances of winning a single election, while losing all the others. The congressional districting map of Pennsylvania was redrawn to look like a pile of entangled snakes, or Bullwinkle the Moose, rather than nice, neat, straight edged squares, which is normal and sensible. The tactic is called "Gerrymandering", named after a Revolutionary War era politician who elevated the trick to a fine art. Its been used ever since, by all political parties in power, by today's G.O.P. has done Mr. Gerrymander proud with their creative designs. finally, at long last, the federal court system is putting an end to the corrupt practice. Pennsylvania now has a newly redrawn map, with nice, neat, sand rectangular districts replacing the squiggly snakes. It is believed that the new, court ordered arrangement will help the democrats win back as many as five or six seats later this year, which would be a more accurate reflection of the state's actual make up. The Pennsylvania state republican party is all in a tizzy, not surprisingly, and is filing legal appeals left and right, which will probably come to nothing. Politically ambitious people hate having their corruption exposed and brought to an end. Power, as they say, corrupts. The same scenario is likely to happen all across the great American fruited plain, which, along with the Trump presidency and the republican congress, their extreme lack of popularity, might contribute to some much anticipated democratic success. If this country wants to be governed by a bunch of right wing zealots, fine. But if so, surely it can be allowed to happen fairly, honorably, without the right wingers having to cheat to gain power. 'their cheating seems to be coming to an end.