HomeMy WebLinkAboutSingle Member DistrictsPage 8A Bryan-College Station Eagle Tuesday, September 24,1991
OPINIONS
Single member districts give equality to every voter
Twenty-six years ago, when the Voting
Rights Act was passed, it was said that
"discrimination in voting is a wrong
which no American, in his heart, can jus-
tify. The right to vote is one which no
American, true to our principles, can
deny."
The Congress and the U.S. Supreme
Court have determined that the dilution
of the vote of an identifiable minority
group is against the law whether based
on the intent to discriminate or based on
the effects of past discrimination. In 1986
the Supreme Court in Thornburg vs. Gi-
ngles developed a three-part test that
constitutes "the necessary precondition"
for the establishment of a claim under
the Voting Rights Act;
■The minority group must be able to
demonstrate that it is sufficiently large
and geographically compact to constitute
a majority in a single member district.
■The minority group must be able to
show that it is politically cohesive.
■The minority group must be able to
demonstrate that the white majority
votes sufficiently as a block to enable it -
in the absence of special circumstances,
such as a minority candidate running
unopposed - usually to defeat the min-
ority's preferred candidate.
On the basis of the historical and pre-
sent neighborhood concentration of our
population and voting patterns, there is
little doubt that Bryan meets the test or is
at the 11th hour of meeting the standard
set by the court. My sincere hope is that
our elected representatives will view the
change to single member district voting
as a window of opportunity for communi-
ty-wide burden-sharing in the gover-
nance of our city and not as a legal hurdle
they will attempt to violate or circumvent
through costly and divisive litigation.
Fortunately, the city of Bryan and the
school district have received prudent
counsel. For example, an attorney told
the school district that if the test set by
the court is met, the district would be
wise to voluntarily implement the single
member district plan. Similarly, in a se-
parate meeting before Bryan Forward,
the department head in political science
at Texas A&M University counseled that
the SMD process is inevitable and should
be implemented voluntarily rather than
let a court force a plan on the city.
I spoke with various residents and
elected officials regarding the subject of
the SMD voting process in Bryan, and to
my dismay I discovered unfounded fear
and ignorance among some otherwise
sophisticated and well-intentioned peo-
ple.
Fears are without merit
There were a few people who accept
SMD voting as a means to improving the
city, and that gives me hope. However,
there is a belief among some folks that
SMD voting will turn our community into
a ghetto and that incompetent rep-
resentatives will be elected.
The statement is without merit. For ex-
ample, my immediate family, a product of
the affected neighborhoods referred to by
the speaker, has produced seven A&M
graduates, and the neighborhood con-
tinues to produce college graduates and
business, church and community
leaders.
Others indicate that our middle- and
upper-middle-income residents will move
(white flight) to College Station, fearing
the worst in Bryan. Families already have
been leaving Bryan and will continue to
leave as long as there is a perception that
College Station offers an enhanced quali-
ty of life.
Further, others say that SMD voting
will cause division among our rep-
resentatives and no progress will be
achieved. The truth of the matter is that
differences of opinion are a fact of politi-
cal life in all communities. I do not believe
the recent Red River Street issue, as well
as zoning, taxes, downtown development,
etc., have been matters of great harmony.
A few of the people I spoke to believe
that SMD voting is a "handout" because
people will be receiving something for
nothing. This comment is unbelievable in
light of the Supreme Court's ruling that
this voting procedure meets the Consti•
tution's intent.
One person even suggested that SMC
voting caters to the ethnic minoritie&
therefore, we should also provide slots foi
women, since they comprise more thar
50 percent of our population. This is ar
interesting statement, since there is nc
neighborhood comprised solely of womer
as a result of discrimination and com-
munity standards of the past.
To my amazement, another well.
intentioned individual indicated that
since blacks and Hispanics do not agree
with one another on who their rep•
resentative should be, SMD voting wil
not be beneficial to them. I reminded hin
that when minorities have been candi•
dates they received the majority of th(
minority vote. In addition, the fact that
there are several leaders refutes the con
tention that there is no leadership in th(
minority community.
Finally, one individual indicated that
change to SMD voting will be detrimenta
to our school district and community
This same representative was a leader it
the effort to change the schools to
neighborhood concept and argued tha
neighborhood schools would provide ou:
citizens a sense of pride and an increase(
role in the schools. In reality, neighbor
hood schools are similar in principle an(
effect to that of an SMD.
Never visited neighborhoods
It is important to note that all of thes(
well-intentioned folks had never visite(
some of the major streets, schools
churches or businesses in the northerr
part of our city, which represents th(
neighborhoods of more than 40 percen
of our population. One person did admi
to having toured the area and found i
educational. When I posed the question
regarding their familiarity with th(
neighborhoods and the residents, it wa;
generally dismissed as unimportant t(
making decisions in the best interest o
the entire community.
The issue of voting rights is a legal mat
ter; however, we must not forget that the
real message is that the dignity and
worth of each individual must be respect-
ed and protected. Unfortunately, illegal
discrimination is alive and well, and I am
grateful that the laws of this nation are in
place to protect my family and children
against being violated as a result of their
economic status or their God-given color.
It is only after a parent has experienced
the anger, sadness and hurt feelings that
come from seeing their most precious
possession, their children, treated in a
derogatory or discriminatory manner
that one understands my sentiment.
The present cause of the dilution of a
person's vote may be as a result of inten-
tional or unintentional discrimination on
the basis of race, ethnicity or economics.
Nevertheless, the dilution issue goes
beyond a vote that is not counted to its
full measure. The issue deals with the
fact that the souls and minds of people
are discounted and diluted without re-
gard to their worth.
Challenged by Bryan history
Our community's history continues to
challenge our city, and we must view the
consequences of our past decisions not
as a burden but as an opportunity to de-
velop all our citizens as contributors to
our future. No one is seeking a "hand-
out." The change from a discriminatory
procedure to fairness and equity is not a
"handout." It is justice! The plea for SMD
voting is a request for full participation in
the governance of our city, based on hard
work and with the resulting burdens and
benefits that come with being involved.
To those individuals who continue to be
disturbed by the constitutionally sanc-
tioned SMD voting and its impact on our
community, I would like to remind them
of the following:
■We are a democracy that is founded
on the principle of one person, one vote.
■We are a nation of laws. The Consti-
tution and laws of our nation determine
our rights, and we are not dependent
upon the arbitrary and capricious whims
of people in power.
■We live in a community that adheres
to the "law and order" principle.
■Racism, bigotryand elitism do not
control the minds and souls of our citi-
zens.
■In order for there to be peace among
people, there must be justice. Justice is
not divisible because injustice anywhere
threatens justice everywhere.
■The ethnic minority and economical-
ly disadvantaged populations are becom-
ing the majority in our schools and gen-
eral population. They must be allowed to
contribute and carry their weight as full
partners.
■AII citizens, regardless of color, race
and economic status, must be burdened
and benefitted by the political and edu-
cational process.
■Our community's energy and focus
should be directed at developing and en-
hancing all quarters of the community
rather than emphasizing perceived defi-
cits.
We are a communtty blessed with
diversity, a rich history and a potentially
great future. Full participation from all
sections of our community has not been
achieved; however, the inclusive effects of
SMD voting as well as the good faith
efforts of all concerned will help us in our
effort to reach the goal.
I recognize that SMD voting is not a
panacea to all our community's prob-
lems; nevertheless, the process is a viable
tool to be utilized toward recognizing the
vision and talents of all our citizens, re-
gardless of where they live.
One person, one vote is the law, and as
law abiding citizens we must adhere to its
spirit and intent. We must allow every-;
body's vote to count and provide every-
body the opportunity to vote for a neigh-
bor who will be able to articulate the con-
tributions and assets available toward
making our community a great city.
Daniel Hernandez is a local attorney
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