Jayne Morris Crowther: Gerrymandering weakens our democracy

To The Daily Sun,

I grew-up in a middle-class suburb of post-war America. Dinah Shore told us to “See the U.S.A. in our Chevrolet,” and I drank a glass of milk watching a portrait of President Dwight Eisenhower while the television played “Hail to the Chief.” You get the picture. At the core of this American pride was the conviction that we enjoyed representative government where all voices were heard. We were terrified of the Soviet Union which was governed by a singularly all-powerful political party. They had elections but theirs only offered members of the same dreaded Communist Party. Opposing views were drowned out by their system. The American way was a two-party system and it was far better because each had the chance to convince voters of their respective programs. We might not always agree about policies but “we the people” always had a firm belief that our views would be heard.

We enjoyed this privilege of representative democracy because throughout our history thousands had died to bequeath this extraordinary gift. We especially remember them this week on Veterans Day. But, the upcoming redistricting, dictated by Republicans, threatens our legacy with a process called gerrymandering. This happens when one political party draws district lines giving its side an unfair election advantage. Republican State Party Chair Stephen Stepanek said last January, “... I can stand here today and guarantee you that we will send a conservative Republican to Washington, D.C. as a Congress person in 2022." (WMUR Primary Source, Jan. 28). How is it that Mr. Stepanek can guarantee an outcome to an election 22 months before that election takes place? When he spoke, he did not know the choice of candidates or the salient issues for fall 2022. His confidence resulted from the knowledge that he and his fellow Republicans had the power to reconfigure the map and guarantee his predicted outcome. Any opposition would be muted. 

When either political party is assured victory in an election, it has less incentive to heed the wishes of dissenting views. This weakens the voice of the minority and leads to extreme policies. The Soviet Union was an example of just that kind of process but that was not the American way. Regardless of party affiliation, we cannot abandon the precious heritage of representative democracy. Its cost has been too dear. Please contact Gov. Chris Sununu and your state representatives and request they strongly oppose this weakening of representative democracy through gerrymandering.

Jayne Morris Crowther

Laconia