For liberty's sake, we must change redistricting process
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As our news staff was doing the reporting Friday for a story on Gov. Pat Quinn's decision to sign Democratic legislation redrawing the state's Congressional district boundaries, the likelihood of litigation by Republicans quickly became a central theme.
Without thinking much about it, one of our editors asked a reporter, is this apt to be tried in a federal court or a state court because the answer will be crucial to Republican chances?
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New congressional mapAs we said, no one really thought about the implications inherent in the question itself. It was just a routine editor-to-reporter question, asked in the matter-of-fact kind of the way an editor would ask how long it took a fire truck to arrive at a burning building. One detail that belonged in the story.
But the assumption behind the question is significant, and the assumption is not exclusive to us.
In Illinois, it's generally assumed that Democrats control the state courts by way of control of the state supreme court and that ultimately therefore, the state courts will rule in the Democrats favor. Nationally, though perhaps the view is held a bit less deeply and cynically for some reason, it's generally assumed that Republicans exert more influence in the federal courts by way of a majority on the U.S. Supreme Court and that the scale of justice tilts at least somewhat in the GOP direction for that reason (see race for the White House, 2000).
Think about that for a second. Not so much the assumptions themselves, but how routinely we accept them.
Most of us tend to take our liberty largely for granted. We're proud that we live “in the land of the free.” We have fought wars for that liberty and shed blood and tears for that freedom.
But how free are we?
We need to ask ourselves that.
If we truly believe that our courts are fundamentally controlled by political interests, is it not a contradiction to liberty?
And as importantly, if we allow a process that enables the party in power to impose clear advantages to help it maintain its grip on power, is that not a contradiction to liberty?
As freedom-loving people, we all should be outraged by that.
As freedom-loving people, we all should be doing something about that.
This is not a partisan position. Both parties are guilty of the same self-centered corruptions. In Illinois, the Democrats are in control and draw maps to keep them in control. But in Texas, as another example, the Republicans are in control and draw maps to keep them in control.
This is not a partisan matter.
It is a liberty matter.
If we love liberty, we must take the redistricting process out of the hands of politicians.
