Election 2012: Republican Redistricting May Lead To A Resegregated South

The Nation:

North Carolina State Senator Eric Mansfield was born in 1964, a year before the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed the right to vote for African-Americans. He grew up in Columbus, Georgia, and moved to North Carolina when he was stationed at Fort Bragg. He became an Army doctor, opening a practice in Fayetteville after leaving the service. Mansfield says he was always "very cynical about politics" but decided to run for office in 2010 after being inspired by Barack Obama’s presidential run.

Read the whole story: The Nation

Comments

[butterandflower]

09:24 PM on 02/04/2012

I challenge anyone to show me a Small City or Town in America that is NOT segregated by 'the tracks'.

No one wants to start up or end up on the south side.

I've lived in the south for 35 years. It seems to me that white people 'lean' towards the Rep.party not so much for the ideals espoused (many of these folks express the same desires as us 'horrible' liberals,after all) but for the 'fear' of being associated with the 'wrong' people. However,I am heartened by the more inclusive and open-minded attitude of many of the younger generation.

[OLJW00]

08:01 PM on 02/04/2012

The Democratic Party IS the party of segregation..

History 101

[pragmaticalpaula]

02:16 AM on 02/05/2012

Apparently I missed something in my history classes, could you please explain your statement. Or was it just for show.

[OLJW00]

12:29 PM on 02/05/2012

Seriously? You aren't aware of this FACT?

Ok. Take the Little Rock Nine for example. President Eisenhower (GOP) had to threaten then Gov of Arkansas Faubus to have his state National Guard step down and allow the students to go to what had heretofore been a segregated white school and stands as one of THE most imp't event in the Civil Rights Movement.

Furthermore...

May 21, 1919 vote to ammend the constitution to prohibit gender-based discrimination voting, basically granting women’s suffrage:

House Vote May 21, 1919
Democrats: Aye 102, Nay 69
Republicans: Aye 200, Nay 19

I can continue if you like...

[OLJW00]

12:30 PM on 02/05/2012

And if you didn't know - Faubus was a Democrat.

[jhNY]

04:09 PM on 02/05/2012

Except for being the first party with a modern (1948) pro-civil rights plank, the party that pushed through passage of civil rights legislation, voting rights act, equal opportunity, fair housing, etc., you are correct-- which is to say: the Republicans made a great beginning on the issue of civil rights (see A. Lincoln), and made a tactical retreat from enforcement of same (see end of reconstruction as condition for the seating of RB Hayes extracted by Southern Democrats from Republican Party), and afterward, looked but little better on the issue than the Democrats till FDR.

[dfranz]

07:08 PM on 02/04/2012

The appearance of racism ever since this President was elected is no appearance at all, it is fact. It also unsustainable as eventually white people will be the minority in th9is country and no amount of gerrymandering will be able to disenfranchaise them.

[OLJW00]

07:44 PM on 02/04/2012

You mean when he had an 80% approval rating that was proof of rampant racism?

[PollyTics]

06:22 PM on 02/04/2012

The GOP are going for Karl Rove's dream of a "Permanent Majority" for their Party, no matter what it takes or how many courts they have to "fiddle with".

They are pursuing the fictitious notion of "Voter Fraud" and Weakening Unions, getting rid of Collective Bargaining, Redistricting in manners not done since before the Civil Rights Act in the 60's, gotten the Supreme Court to pass a Citizens United act defining corporations as people, are threatening the standing legalizing Abortion ruling by threatening and killing doctors and staffers who provide this service, are trying to rid the country of Child Labor Laws and are using race as a dividing tool within our country.

By using these and many other rulings and shifts the GOP are trying to force us back into the 1800's and I'm not having any of it...but to reverse what our Supreme Court has done is going to take work, unification and money. Now this is where we need to start...and the social media is where this truly needs to begin if we are to truly "take back our country".

[OLJW00]

08:01 PM on 02/04/2012

No one said people couldn't unionize...but if someone chooses not to join they shouldn't have to pay dues. Furthermore, the sanctity of a secret ballot should persevere.

Right to work is a GOOD thing..

[butterandflower]

09:34 PM on 02/04/2012

"Right to work is a GOOD thing."

Twenty years from now you won't think so. Neither will your children or grandchildren.

[PollyTics]

02:26 AM on 02/05/2012

I'm sorry, but it's clear you don't understand the extent of these policies and what they mean for our nation now or in the future. The GOP, whether you agree or not, is attempting to bring down our nation to where we were back in the 1800's and I'm not sure about you, but I want to be progressing not regressing.

[PollyTics]

06:15 PM on 02/04/2012

I'm simply sickened and just wonder where the bloody state Supreme Courts are standing on all of this.

[OLJW00]

07:45 PM on 02/04/2012

On what exactly? Gerrymandering?

That effort is as old as the our country itself. Both sides engage in it.

[MariaTall]

06:14 PM on 02/04/2012

Oh look, the Republicans are doing what the dims have done for decades, and now the dims are pretending like it is somehow unfair.

Sorry dims, your _hypocrisy is showing.

[StewII]

07:37 PM on 02/04/2012

Sorry enough to jump off a bridge?

[Larry Motuz]

04:09 PM on 02/04/2012

Segregated Voting Districts? In the South?

Must make the latest version of the KKK proud.

[oldguru]

04:44 PM on 02/04/2012

KKK/GOP... What's the diff?

[Larry Motuz]

06:47 PM on 02/04/2012

I wish I could say with certainty that there was a diff.

[OLJW00]

08:02 PM on 02/04/2012

Save for the fact it was the Dems and the KKK who were tied at the hip...not the GOP.

[UKLLee]

04:06 PM on 02/04/2012

Wow! Getting desperate, huh? I know r.ace b.aiting is the plan for this cycle but a little early to bring out the big guns, isn't it?

[ntmessage]

03:57 PM on 02/04/2012

Desegregation Is Unsung U.S. Success Story

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-30/desegregation-is-an-unsung-u-s-success-story-edward-glaeser.html

Who is really out of touch?

[westphalen]

03:32 PM on 02/04/2012

'The Nation' still tries to put us into separate little boxes by race. We are AMERICANS, who come in all colors. We were hoping that this race baiting would have stopped with President Obama's election but I guess the democrats are not willing to let go of this, by their perception, valuable tool. They need to find someone from outer space next because the current racism charges are just met with a yawn by now. But, you have to hand it to The Nation, they are giving it a valiant effort to keep it alive.

[ebanks84]

03:29 PM on 02/04/2012

Naw, we're not going backwards in the south any more. Too many blacks are back and we will stop that in its tracks. Believe me! We're moving forward no matter what and none of those old racial antics are going to work any more.

[ladywing]

04:50 PM on 02/04/2012

I pray that you are right. I am from the Northwest. I was in the Carolina's and Georgia for the first time last year and frankly was shocked by what I saw.
There were white night clubs and black clubs. I saw two mixed couples while I was there. The only groups of racially mixed people were older women in restaurants.
Even in the hotel pools the groups stayed at opposite ends of the pools. Maybe I didn't see enough.
I hope so but it was not like it is here.
You are brave.

[oldguru]

04:57 PM on 02/04/2012

Even in the hotel pools the groups stayed at opposite ends of the pools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Depends on what part of the State you visited. Mostly the blacks have better taste than to mix with the h8ful whites found in a lot of places.

[ebanks84]

05:53 PM on 02/04/2012

A lot has changed since you were here and more changes are happening behind the scenes where it all matters. NC will no longer be in the dark ages and this is the year to make it known.

[PollyTics]

06:29 PM on 02/04/2012

I only wish what you say is true, however, with the change in Supreme courts and State houses and the GOP insistence on changing the rules of the game, I'm afraid they are winning this thing UNLESS & UNTIL we unite and fight these cretins where it counts. To do this we need to focus, work with talking to neighbors, organizing and truly working hard to fight the UNLIMITED money that is now behind the right.

[ebanks84]

08:06 AM on 02/05/2012

Blacks in the south today are fighting every step of the way to NOT be pulled back into the old south. We know what they are trying to do but we know what we "need" to do to stop it as well. And that's exactly what we are doing. I'm doing something every day to enlighten our people to the games politicians play to suppress our interaction to stop the powers that be from changing the rules to keep us from voting. People are amazed at how low these bad people will go to get what they want and keep us from complaining. But we have become too strong and are too widespread for them to stop us and keep us quiet. The south is changing and we're changing it! Obama's convention here will be wonderful and NC is going to show the country that we are behind this president 100%. And all the money they have won't do them a bit of good because money can't buy them "love".

[henrypapillon]

03:24 PM on 02/04/2012

Next comes revolution.

[ntmessage]

03:58 PM on 02/04/2012

Um, about 60 years too late. But you can help the OWS and the 99% ers tear down something instead.

[henrypapillon]

04:10 PM on 02/04/2012

You'll see when conservatives push too hard. the top will blow off this thing.

[reasonshouldrule]

01:20 PM on 02/04/2012

Just another example of the ugly world view of some people in this country, people who will stop at nothing to gain and keep power for their own benefit. There are a lot of these people in the south, but they exist everywhere.

I hope that ALL people of color realize the danger and never vote republican. Frankly , they shouldn't vote Ron Paul either because he would take us back to the bad old days quicker than anyone.

[gwinegarden]

12:56 PM on 02/04/2012

Republicans seem to long for the 19th century.

[fred jonze 56271]

12:36 PM on 02/04/2012

gerrymandering isn't new or exclusive to either party.

[reasonshouldrule]

01:21 PM on 02/04/2012

No, but that doesn't mean we can ignore the problem, and right now, it's the repubs who are guilty of it.

[fred jonze 56271]

12:35 AM on 02/05/2012

why not ignore it? you give the redistricting crayon to the other party and they'll just draw a map that benefits them in elections. it's always happening and it's not party limited.

how do you think obama won his seat in illinois?

[henrypapillon]

03:25 PM on 02/04/2012

This makes the original gerrymander look like a square.