The Redistricting Debate

As the Texas Senate special session drags on, the redistricting debate seems to repeat itself, looping around to address the same issue over and over again: minority voting rights. The left claims that the new map oppresses minorities, while the right claims that it does not. However, is minority rights the real issue here, or is something else taking place?

The left claims that minorities need special districts in order to secure equality and prevent oppression. However, does not gerrymandering districts to include almost exclusively minorities err toward minority tyranny, an event against which James Madison warned in the Federalist Papers? Additionally, is it not odd that this party, the one that cries "racism!" at the slightest provocation, is demanding special treatment based on, of all things, a racial basis? Is that not racism also?

Indeed, if racism were truly to be avoided, districts would be drawn without any regard to race or creed. However, that will never be the case, as both parties wish to seize power for themselves. Race and minority rights are not really the issue for the senators and legislators drafting the bill, instead, it is about power and which groups can be manipulated to vote for whom.