Weihua Yan had seen dramatic demographic changes since moving to Long Island’s Nassau County.
Its Asian American population alone had grown by 60% since the 2010 census. Why then, he wondered, did he not see anyone who looked like him on the county’s local governing body, the 19-member Nassau County Legislature?
His bid to become the first Asian American on the county’s governing body fell short, and he thinks he knows why.
Minority residents and voter advocates blame a redistricting process overseen by the county Legislature, which has a Republican majority. They say the county political map drawn after the 2020 census was done to mostly preserve the existing power structure, and in doing so prevented minority voters from electing a board that was more representative of the area’s burgeoning diversity.
The county is now facing a lawsuit over those maps. Four Latino residents and a local civil rights organization sued the Legislature earlier this year, claiming it manipulated the mapmaking process to dilute the influence of the county’s Black, Latino and Asian communities. Whites are just 56% of the county’s nearly 1.4 million people but comprise nearly 80% of its governing body.
Sort of burying why there by not mentioning the county legislature having a Republican majority.
Not really shocking that Republicans still act like Republicans in Republican areas of blue states.
Edit: Wrote minority when I meant majority.
Folks see Republicans making voting district decisions and want oversight on those maps. It’s not uncommon for gerrymandering to keep an area red.
just cause its a blue state doesnt mean republicans dont live there and fuck shit up
Good. Red State, blue state, red board, blue board, I don’t care. More fair and diverse districts are only a good thing. More voices with more ideas makes everyone do better. Here’s hoping they win.
“As long as Nazis have a voice, everything is good in this country.”
What? I’m saying I’m glad they are suing for a more fair representation in their districts? I never mentioned Nazis?
The fact that you aren’t even aware that Republicans have become a modern Nazi party is disturbing on its own.
Swap fascist with Nazi and you’ll have something there. I get the reasons that people so often fall back on that as a crutch. In America especially. No one is taught what fascism is. That would cause too many people asking questions. But due to the circumstances of the second World War everyone gets it hammered into their head that those particular fascists were horrific.
It’s inarguable that a lot of Republican businessmen and politicians were outright Nazi, Nazi friendly and adjacent. Some still are. The father and grandfather of two American presidents was attached to a fascist plot to overthrow FDR right about the time Hitler’s beer hall putsch failed. But plenty of the uneducated Republican voters of today don’t support Hitler the man or his group The nazis. They just support everything they stand for in a general sense. Just not the group specifically. It’s a mind-blowing dichotomy to be sure.
I think we’re honestly doing ourselves a disfavor as leftists relying on a crutch like that. Short circuiting actual debate relying on inflammatory and technically incorrect accusations. Rather than be accurate and attempt to educate. Yes most of them are beyond education. But you fail to convert or educate 100% 9f the people you don’t try to.
No, they’re Nazis. I call a Nazi a Nazi. They are pro-corporate genocidal monsters who want to put queer people and brown people in concentration camps. They’re Nazis.
Hey at least no one can say that I didn’t try to inform and educate you. You’re just beyond it.
While I 100% in general agree that Republicans should not be getting more representation or power. Especially from structures already heavily rigged to favor them already. Especially since they are a threat to themselves and everyone else . However OP didn’t bring up Nazis. That was you. And as bad as Republicans are not all of them are nazis. Just as not all of us on the left are tankies thank God. Generally I tend to upvote and agree with you. But I think maybe you should go touch grass for a little while. You’re coming in way too hot.
As we say in Germany, if there’s a Nazi at the table and 10 other people sitting there talking to him, you got a table with 11 Nazis.
Dr. Jens Foell
