opinion
K ANSAN.COM
Thursday, November 15, 2018 Text your Free For All submissions to (785) 289-8351
FFA of the Day: “On a scale of 1-10 how much do you hate yourself” “I mean I’m drinking Mountain Dew code red right now” Don’t get your computer fixed at the union because they will ruin it and tell you it’s your fault Dont’ buy your textbooks at the union because they’re $100 too expensive and you don’t use them and they tell you it’s your fault don’t go to ku because they’ll ruin your life and tell you its your fault Stan Lee died, so it’s my time as well “I only eat taco bell when my mental health is at a severe low” A man just walked past me wearing floral shorts and literally bouncing as he walked and I want what he’s on Ya sex is cool but have you ever tried sticking a blow dryer under your blanket while you’re wrapped up in it? Guaranteed continuous moaning i’m at the library and just saw a man frantically keep whispering “hey siri” into his iPhone while speedwalking “Detective pikachu slept with my wife” What does it mean if I keep hearing kill bill sirens but no one else seems to college isn’t for me, I’ve decided to drop out and pursue twitch streaming and selling my foot pics “1912 Jayhawk was the sexiest jayhawk: change my mind” not to be dramatic but having class until it’s dark outside is slowly killing me I’d like to formally apologize to everyone who saw me sob on the bus to class How many NyQuil will it take to make me sleep until Friday afternoon Can someone hit me in the face with a tire iron? Please and thank you
OPINION
9
K A N S A N .C O M /O P I N I O N
Gerrymandering is suppression
AROOG KHALIQ @aroog_twt
One of the most potent arguments in favor of political nihilism in American politics is the idea that an individual’s vote can only be powerful if their voting district is sensibly designed. Gerrymandering, the process by which voting districts are arbitrarily designed to unfairly favor one political party, creates absurdly shaped voting districts that make it nearly impossible for a district to change political colors. Kansas’ historical volleying between, including and excluding Lawrence from the third district (which includes Kansas City and Overland Park) is a subtle example of this, and districts such as New York’s 101st and North Carolina’s 12th are more overt. Politicians on both sides of the aisle criticize this practice, but the political utility of gerrymandering makes it hard to remove, especially with the Republican Party in power. Though the 2018 midterm season could be described as a “Blue Wave,” this designation does not
pay enough attention to the disparity present between popular vote gains and actual seats won by Democrats in highly gerrymandered states such as Texas, Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina. The New York Times reported that in Texas, though nearly every district experienced an increase in popular votes cast for Democrats, the majority of those districts fell short of securing over 50 percent of the vote. The article also reported that in Ohio, Democrats won 48 percent of the popular vote, and in North Carolina, Democratic votes increased 2.9 percentage points. However, in both states, no seats were flipped. The article noted some success was observed in Michigan, where two seats flipped, but the disparity between Democratic votes secured and overall seats won remained. This election cycle, and elections going back to 2012, reflect a clear Republican bias in the current district mapping, but referendums are gradually flipping this trend. Successful independent citizen commissions in Arizona and California redrew dis-
Illustration by Hadley Kubicki/KANSAN This illustration shows an example of how gerrymandering works. It does not reflect real-world results. tricts to avoid gerrymandering, according to the Times article, and winning propositions in Michigan, Missouri and Colorado seek to change their respective maps. The creation of independent citizen commissions has been gaining traction, thanks to the 2015 Supreme Court decision in the Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redis-
tricting Commission case, which deemed it constitutional for citizens to handle redistricting independent of state legislatures. Changes in technology centered around artificial intelligence and game theory have resulted in algorithms from research teams at Carnegie Mellon University and Brown University that compute the most mathematically fair
districts. The future, then, may not be as bleak for our political system as nihilists believe. Restructuring districts to be less politically biased, by citizens’ commissions with or without technological support, is one of many reforms that can ensure voters’ efforts actually result in proportional national change, instead of the “Blue Trickle” of 2018.
Empathy, understanding fuel democracy JOHN HIGGINS @john_f_higgins
The United States has historically been characterized by its vibrant civic life and sense of community. In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville — a French diplomat and historian visiting the U.S. — praised the civic engagement of Americans. Has this characterization held true through the ages? Considering the current political climate, this isn’t the case. American society has experienced an erosion of civic life in recent decades. Involvement has declined, with Americans participating less and less in community institutions. A fractious political climate and widespread mistrust and disillusionment with the political process suggests that the bonds of community have weakened. Trust, an essential component of democracy, is at a historic low. To make sense of this decline in civic participation, it’s important to understand the concept of social capital. Social capital refers to the byproducts of relationships, groups, organizations and other means of social interaction. By interacting with others, you build social capital. Being involved in a community creates a shared set of experiences, understanding and mutual trust. Social capital has multiple functions. It can form and strengthen bonds within a group, which is an important way individuals
Illustration by Regan Smith/KANSAN obtain a sense of identity. Additionally, social capital can facilitate connections between those of different groups, leading to new understanding. This latter type, which provides an avenue for discourse, is essential to democracy. Robert Antonio, a sociology professor at the University of Kansas, said that for democracy to thrive, it must “support access to key institutions” while also “promoting the ability to communicate across cultural lines.” Bridging social capital and effective intergroup communication are required for vibrant democratic institutions. But there’s an issue: American society has become increasingly individualistic. Across the board, Americans are less engaged with their communities, and individualism is eroding community involvement. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of vol-
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unteering has continually declined in recent years. Rising inequality and diminished mobility have led to large class divisions. These factors act as barriers to community engagement and diminish the ability to build bridging capital. Consequently, it’s increasingly difficult for Americans to interact with those different from them. Technology has also accelerated this shift. People spend more time online and less time interacting with people in real life. Despite the internet’s many useful functions, its role in the decline of community involvement cannot be understated. Online echo chambers, especially prominent in social media, polarize political discourse and impede understanding between political groups. These barriers to political discourse and understanding come at a time where right-wing populism and white nationalism have swept the country. According to Antonio,
these groups maintain “an extreme friend-enemy politic,” viewing themselves as the “true nation” and rejecting other identities. “That kind of position argues that we have a pluriverse where each culture is incommensurate, and we really can’t communicate across cultural lines because they have different values,” Antonio said. Antonio said this form of political ideology “is not a communication model.” This stands in stark contrast to what democracy should be. A democracy needs to be characterized by its ability to facilitate thoughtful discourse and resolve differences peacefully. To accomplish this, it’s necessary for people to have an understanding of what others believe. This is why social capital, particularly the kind that bridges divides and brings people together, is so important. “In a democracy, there should be incredible tolerance of difference,” An-
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tonio said. “That doesn’t mean that you have to love everybody, but [that] you’re open to conversing and believing that we should be able to live together peacefully.” We must be able to “play the role of the other” and develop empathy in our daily lives. However, when structural inequality is higher than ever, how do we achieve this? To start, we must become more willing to interact with those we disagree with. While many consider these types of discussions stressful, democracy isn’t easy. It’s a profoundly imperfect institution that’s better than other alternatives. Cultivating empathy and mutual understanding, while difficult, isn’t impossible. Finding ways to engage in your community is an excellent way to begin. By interacting with people of all walks of life, you gain an understanding of their perspectives. This knowledge is key to effective discourse. If we are to re-imagine American democracy, it should start with our own willingness to engage with others. Democracy should be more participatory than merely voting every two years — it ought to be more closely integrated into civil society. By cultivating understanding and engaging in effective discourse, we will assuredly be moving in the right direction.
John Higgins is a sophomore from Olathe studying economics and math.
editorial board
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Conner Mitchell, Rebekah Lodos and Baylee Parsons.