As part of its’ The Public Speaks OUt! series, the Citizen Tribune went to its social media to ask readers what they think about the redistricting efforts in Memphis.

To recap: After the Supreme Court ruled – in essence – that gerrymandering along racial lines is forbidden in the Constitution, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who is running for governor called for redistricting in Memphis, a long-time Democratic stronghold in the state.

Gov. Bill Lee heeded the call and called a special legislative session.

Legislators swiftly redrew district lines so that Memphis, which had been in one congressional district would now be in parts of three with the expected results that Republicans would pick up a seat in the U.S. Congress.

We asked: “The Tennessee State Legislature met in special session to redraw district lines in West Tennessee, focused on gerrymandering the district so that Tennessee’s Congressional delegation will be entirely Republican.

Memphis has, for years, been home to Tennessee’s only Democratic seat in Washington.

What do you think? Is it fair play by the Republicans? Or did the legislature go to far?”

Here are some of the community responses:

Karen Leming Graves

Population and land mass are such opposites. Urban area issues and rural issues are very different. I do not think either should make all the decisions for the other. I have seen so many states whose urban area controls the vote for large areas. I do not think that is correct. The new map looks spread all over the place and would be hard to manage for an elected official. It seems crazy that small of an area as in district 9 holds that much sway.

Michael Klingebiel

40% Republican in the Northeast (of the United States) and zero representation. It is up to each state legislature to ensure that political gerrymandering is minimized.

The people can vote in the right people to control this. The U.S. Supreme Court absolutely did the correct thing eliminating racial gerrymandering.

Noah Hunter Adkins

As a Tennessee native I am upset that our state legislators, who pride themselves on election integrity and fairness, want to erase the voices of voters by drawing the districts in a way that allows them to be reelected over and over regardless of what we voters do.

The districts should be fair to all voters and let us decide, that’s the way our constitutional Republic is supposed to work. WE that people pick representation. “No taxation without representation” Gerrymandering should be outlawed and every district should be drawn by independent commissions.

Marge Stefaniak

Districts should be determined for representation of citizens. Not for the benefit of any party.

Grant L. Lawson

Gerrymandering is bad. Period. It shouldn’t be a partisan issue to think this, and instead of embracing it, Republicans should be banning it nationwide. They control the house, senate, and presidency.

Jeff Horne

Democrats are champs of gerrymandering and have been for decades. Give them a taste of their own medicine and suddenly it’s a constitutional crisis.

Andrew Maxey

I just want to know why we do not have proportional representation as it is. If TN is 65% republicans, why couldn’t we have 7 voteRed/ 4 votesBlue.

Tennessee is only playing the same games being played across America to benefit one political party.

Switching to proportional representation would not only made sure everyone’s voice is heard, but would also make sure that every representative in your state is able to be held accountable by any citizen of the state.

Virginia Trent

If the elected representatives actually followed the will of the people in TN it would be fine. In my opinion it should have been put to a vote and based soley on the results. Not the call of the president or any one else.

Adam Coffey

Gerrymandering is wrong regardless of party. But Dems brought a bill to ban it and Reps voted against it.

B.A.
Marcum

The Supreme courts recent decision makes this 100% legal and constitutional. Case closed. Next question.

Wayne Benny

Personally, I think the first map is better. The districts are lumped together and not stretched across the state as in the pastel colored map.

Joshua Carter

Obviously racist gerrymandering was once illegal, but after the court gutted the Voting Rights Act, I suppose it’s a free-for-all now. There should be a constitutional amendment prohibiting states from redrawing their own Congressional district maps. A neutral, apolitical, non-affiliated, publicly funded third-party organization should be responsible for redrawing all electoral maps with an eye for ensuring a dual mandate: minority representation and maintaining competitive districts.

And then we can add another amendment mandating rank choice voting at every level of government. Break the duopoly.

While we’re at it, ratify the Congressional Apportionment Amendment and dramatically increase the number of house seats. The average ratio is one rep per 720,000 Americans. That is wildly unrepresentative and goes a long way toward explaining why it feels like Congress doesn’t represent us regardless of which party holds the majority.

Margie S. Burris

Well the Democratic’s have Gerrymandered the maps for many years, now they have been drawn the right way, that gives all legal voters, regardless of race, a chance to vote. Gerrymandering has been a tactic used by Democrats for years, We all want a Fair Election, maybe now we will get it.

Eric Henry

I’d love to see our media outlets do a better job at not framing a bias. Do you not think your readers are smart enough to see the gaslighting? Here’s an idea- edit your post, and inform the public on the history of gerrymandering. (Perhaps specifically 2019). Then, the one question you can ask is simple: What do you think? Are the last two questions necessary? Do better.

-Be sure to follow the Tribune’s social media channels for the next opportunity to get your voice heard!