Amendment needed on gerrymandering

Concerning redistricting or gerrymandering: Once selecting our candidates is taken away from the people, is our democracy soon to follow? I heard one politician say, “There is nothing wrong with redistricting. Many other states do it.”

There is something seriously wrong with it, because the politicians pick the winner not the people. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or an Independent, you don’t really want the guys in the smoke-filled room picking your candidate, do you?

Texas and Florida gerrymander the state Republican. Illinois and California gerrymander the state Democrat. I won’t mention all the states but in a few states, gerrymandering is outlawed or limited. We need to take back our votes state by state, right?

Wrong.

We need a national amendment to the Constitution outlawing gerrymandering in all states. If you don’t do it in all states, then one political party will still take advantage. No spider legs or crooked lines for a district. Just squares or centered districts. No politicians drawing up lines. Have the census bureau, National Geographic Society, Rand McNally Maps or some totally nonpolitical entity draw up congressional districts by population once every 10 years. I am sure the parameters and guidelines can be figured out.

The main thing is to let the voters pick the candidate not the party picking them. Encourage your legislator to act to start the process for a No Gerrymandering Amendment.

John A. Kupiec

Bloomingdale