Democracy Diary: Taking 6 when the game is 5 card draw
Civics theater may make us feel virtuous, but we need to focus on effective action
As I mentioned a few days ago, I was grateful that subscriber Marian joined the conversation. Her comment suggested, in part, that Terry Kanefiled’s list of Things to Do provides a good list of ways to do democracy. In my view, being an election worker(#2) and supporting institutions (#6) may certainly help.
However, the underlying concern that motivated this project is that, in my view, Run for Something (#1) and Register New Voters (#5) are a complete waste of time in many districts where gerrymandered redistricting has rendered the districts non-competitive. (The article is about US House districts, but such gerrymandering and voter suppression are now widespread under hundreds of new state laws).
The analogy that comes to mind is from the movie Maverick. Mel Gibson’s character* has just staged a victory where he was outnumbered in a fistfight in order to impress his card-playing opponents. Sitting back down at the table, Maverick says, “The game is five card draw. Mind if I take 6?” His opponents, frightened by what they’ve just seen, agree.
Gerrymandering and voter suppression are the equivalent of taking 6 cards in 5 card draw. You might win against those odds once in a while, but statistically, there’s just not much point in playing.
In that scenario, running for office and registering new voters may be a theater of civic engagement that makes the participants feel virtuous, but I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in having a functioning representative democracy and in outcomes in the world.
Likewise, helping people become citizens (#11) is a good and important thing to do. But it doesn’t do anything to protect and restore democracy. (except perhaps notionally, in that nationalism always includes fearmongering against immigrants, such demonizing has become mainstream, and the mainstream press is using the far right’s frame that stokes fear of immigrants). New citizens will be just as represented or unrepresented as the rest of us in this system, depending on the extent to which they place they live is gerrymandered and voter suppressed in favor of their positions.
In the next issue, I’ll say more about why I am concerned that this type of business-as-usual suggestion is ineffective in terms of saving and strengthening democracy and, worse, takes away time we could spend doing more effective actions.
*Yes, Mel Gibson is one of those people whose performances can only be appreciated if you are able to completely forget about their horrific personal beliefs and behaviors.