Republicans: You should listen

By Kelli Lundgren

I will get to redistricting, but before I begin…

Utah Republicans, would you like some advice?  I know, I know, you don’t need any advice from someone that’s in “that other group,” the “everyone-but-Republicans-group,” that "you-must-be-a-Democrat-if-you're-not-a-Republican-group."  But I’m going to give you my advice anyway.

You need to go moderate. 

Republicans, you think good government groups during the redistricting process were “a front” for the Democratic Party.  Some were not.  Our group, Represent Me Utah!, was not a front for the Dems.  Before you start hemming and hawing about this, I will give you a concession.  Represent Me Utah! and the Democrats, along with many other voices, joined forces toward the middle of the process, and definitely in the end. We had exactly the same goals: fairness and transparency.  We weren’t fighting Republicans.  We were fighting for democracy. 

Democrats and media can rifle through 16,000 pages of redistricting correspondence, of tit for tat, of who did what to whom in the fight to grab conservative votes and dilute liberal votes, but you forgot to mention the biggest loser; our U. S. Constitution. 

Without elaborating much, redistricting needs to go independent in all states.  The same computer models used behind the scenes to dilute unwanted votes and suppress voters should be used to the contrary.  Computers should be used to create fairness instead of squash it.  They can be used to create compact boundaries; keeping cities, counties and communities together as much as possible.  Utah’s public overwhelmingly asked Utah’s legislators to keep communities together during the process, both urban and rural residents.  We were ignored.  

Redistricting by power to keep power is a huge slight on democracy.  And it has become a given in our nation; even in the media.   It's like gerrymandering is supposed to be part of democracy and accepted.  It should not be accepted. It's not democracy.  

Utah’s Republican legislators during the redistricting process, but not exclusive of it, muffled the votes of moderates and liberals.  They acknowledge this.  But they turn around and say it is legal.  Utah Republicans say there is no proof that they violated the Voting Rights Act so we can’t sue; that is, Democrats and others can't sue.  Yes, others.  The middle ground is forgotten in this state; including independents such as myself, including the many Republicans who voted for reasonable. 

Why did Utah’s liberals, moderates and conservatives vote for Jim Matheson?  He’s reasonable. 

Why if Jon Huntsman won the Republican ticket for President of the United States, would he have most likely won the presidency over President Obama?   He’s reasonable.

Get reasonable Utah Republican leaders.  Stop stomping on votes you do not like.  Stop minimizing people not like you.   We’re shouting back.  You should listen.