Supreme Court’s blow to racial gerrymandering
by Editorial Board · The Washington TimesOPINION:
By a 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais last week, the U.S. Supreme Court held that states aren’t required by the 1965 Voting Rights Act to create majority-minority districts.
The court ruled that the fact that one-third of Louisiana’s voters are Black does not require the state to create two congressional districts where only Black candidates can win.
In so doing, the court struck a blow for democracy and against racial gerrymandering. Democrats are furious because it attacks their power base.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was enacted after a century of Jim Crow, when some state governments used devices such as the poll tax and literacy tests to keep Blacks from voting.
In terms of enfranchising Blacks, it worked well. In two of the past five presidential elections, minorities participated at higher rates than Whites.
Unfortunately, past courts have used a law aimed at ending racism in voting to create racial gerrymandering, designing districts where only Black candidates could win.
The congressional district at issue in the ruling snakes 250 miles from Louisiana’s northwestern corner to Baton Rouge, a feat of gerrymandering of which Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry, who invented the practice, would be proud.
The idea of majority-minority districts, which Callais undermined, is racist. It holds that minority voters can be adequately represented only by those who share their racial identity.
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If that were true, then the Voting Rights Act itself, which passed with the overwhelming support of White legislators who were elected by White voters, would never have happened.
The idea that Black voters can be adequately represented only by Black legislators is repugnant to reason. If so, then we would be forced to say that Whites could be adequately represented only by White politicians.
Why stop at Black congressional districts? Why not districts designed to elect Hispanic candidates, Asian candidates, Muslim candidates and Jewish candidates?
The notion of majority-minority districts also insults voters’ intelligence. Most voters would prefer to be represented by people of integrity who share their values rather than idiots and grifters who share their race.
Certain Black members of Congress who think they can be elected only on the basis of race are incensed. Democrats, who benefit the most from racial gerrymandering, are outraged. None of that should matter in the least.
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Getting race out of politics is a victory for decency, fairness and common sense.