Hi all
Interesting (heartening) to see the reaction to this. I wan't trying to be
controversial though, and I certainly wasn't trying to impugn the
professionalism of technical people working in the field. Its just one of
those unexpected side effects of a new (or newish) technology. Plenty of
those around, we need to keep our eyes open.
Of course its always happened that politicians try and rig votes to make
their own lives easier. And as one of the first democracies in modern times
it will have happened in the UK first. The point was that the improvements in
the tools and the way politicians/lobbyists/marketeers may try to use them
will open up a new debate on what does and does not constitute unacceptable
practice. Its for us as 'the people' to express an opinion - I personally
find it scary. Others won't.
Thanks everyone - see, we're not just techies!
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tue 06/01/2004 18:21
To: CRISP, Paul -Syntegra UK; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc:
Subject: Re: MI-L The Dark Side of GIS
Ahhhh.. Good Morning, my name is Jerry. Jerry Mander...
One of my significant "sideline" businesses is directly related with
your
concern - and a real one it is if we dismiss many of the principal
factors
of redistricting.
I have long worked with the redistricting that many would prefer to
label
"gerrymandering." Sadly the emphasis or spotlight on this process
often
centers on political leanings and one cannot escape the fact that
this is
part and parcel to the compunction to re-evaluate the voting
districts
throughout any given region, in any country remotely practicing a
form - any
form - of democracy.
Principal among those arguing persons such as myself are
"gerrymandering",
rather than re-districting, are those not in (so-called) control of
the
process or those with an agenda of their own.
Let me make a long and complicated process somewhat shorter and
unsweeter.
NEVER underestimate the "common man" and his ability to do just
exactly the
opposite of what any one other might expect him to do - you and I
ranking
among this group. History proves that in the long and short of the
plan to
"gerrymander" (the plan to predispose the will of those within) is
cancelled
out by the fact that the membership of the district are real people,
with
real brains, with the real and regular ability to see through the
(dare I
say) superfluous party affiliations and the real or supposed
conspiracies
that might follow.
In otherwords, from one who has worked with and heard nearly all of
the
arguments for and against, no one can hold, or claim to hold, the
race in
his or her pocket as a result of redistricting or gerrymandering.
That is
not to say that races are not strongly influenced by the nature of
the
redistricting. If we were to say otherwise we would argue for
elimination
of the very concept of districts in the first place.
Please do not assume that all of us who engage in gerrymandering
("their"
word) or redistricting are bought and paid for by the party who
thinks that
by numeric superiority they are in control. We too can act in a
professional manner and provide unbiased analysis and genuinely
well-intentioned arguements for a given district. That does not mean
that
those using that information will see it as so (or, more importantly,
will
not fudge the boundary for advantageous reasons). They do, and that
is the
darker side that, in the extreme case, makes people like yourself
raise your
brow and question the motives of the whole.
The tools available to people like myself to do this work can and are
misused - no doubt. And that makes the issue you raise REAL. But I
would
not pin the nametag Jerry Mander on all as a result. And again,
quite
frankly I am NEVER amazed (and always pleased) by the fact that in
these
very areas where these ill-conceived districts exist, the people have
a way
of rising to the occasion.
Oh, by the way Paul, did you know that the preponderance of
historical
sources for the districting-redistricting methods come from an island
community that America holds in great esteem - Great Britain? And
many
other democratic societies around the world have used the British
districting philosophies and practices as well. Among them are
Australia,
Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and the list goes on. You might be
pleased (or
otherwise, depending on your point of view) to know that the laws
which now
strongly limit the possibility of so-called gerrymandering in Great
Britain
were a direct result of the use of Jerry's rule in that same country.
Now there you go you see, I am as long winded as some of the
politicians who
live or die by Jerry Mander's vote!
Mark Clute
Intelligis CMS
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