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Dear Editor;
On Sunday our nonpartisan group, the Iowa County Fair Maps Team, marched in the Mineral Point July 4th parade. We advocate for an end to gerrymandering, the practice by the party in power of using past election data to draw district maps that give their party an unfair advantage over the opposing party. As a result of gerrymandering: we have fewer competitive elections; Wisconsinites are deprived of equal representation; and hyper-partisanship prevails.
Like you, our team was celebrating the revolution that gave birth to our country and the promise of freedom. However, July 4th is more than just an opportunity to mark an historic event: it's a reminder that freedom is not to be taken for granted; it requires continual action to insure its preservation. As our founding father Benjamin Franklin put it, "Eternal Vigilance is the price of freedom."
It was heartening to hear so many parade watchers cheering us on. They understand that gerrymandering is a threat to our freedom. They want fair maps - maps drawn by a nonpartisan, independent commission in a process which is transparent and includes public input. While some folks may have not agreed with the Fair Maps Team, they respectfully received our message and hopefully considered it.
Today America is divided into many groups having different views on what is wrong with our country and how to fix it. But no group owns the right to simply wave the flag thus claiming to be the true patriots. The flag is an eternal symbol of all Americans who cherish and want to preserve our freedoms as well as our forebears who sacrificed to establish a healthy democracy. This was the July 4th message that prevailed in the Mineral Point parade. Thanks to the parade organizers and volunteers who staged this event. For more information about gerrymandering go to www.fairmapswi.com
Allen and Judy Pincus
Barneveld, WI