Letter to Editor published in the Bemidji Pioneer Press
Published November 21 2010
DFL needs to get back to principles to succeed
The next political battle about to shape up in Minnesota is over redistricting. Racist Democrats joined with racist Republicans to scheme to divide the native American Indian vote over the years in order to keep native Americans out of the Minnesota House and Senate and out of the U.S. Congress.The next political battle about to shape up in Minnesota is over redistricting. Racist Democrats joined with racist Republicans to scheme to divide the native American Indian vote over the years in order to keep native Americans out of the Minnesota House and Senate and out of the U.S. Congress.
If Democrats are going to recover from their trouncing in northern Minnesota — Jim Oberstar, Mary Olson and Brita Sailer soundly defeated, with Persell and Skoe most likely to be next to go; Democrats will have to fight for a redistricting plan that includes a U.S. House district that includes everything from Duluth west... taking in the Indian reservations of Net Lake, Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth. This will assure native American Indians have a voice in the Minnesota state Legislature as well as a voice in Washington representing native American Indians from Minnesota. All working people will then have a voice in government.
Obviously Minnesota House and Senate Districts 4A and 4 need to have their boundaries redrawn to enable native American Indians to have voices at the real seat of power. There is nothing new about using redistricting to assure full representation of people of color in the political process; the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on this are very clear. Redistricting to end racism and enhance democracy for everyone is the way to enforce affirmative action in the electoral process the same way affirmative action (Executive Order 11246) is intended to end poverty by ending discrimination in employment.
The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has a most dismal and disgraceful record in each area and “the chickens have come home to roost.” Now is the time for real change.
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
Warroad
If Democrats are going to recover from their trouncing in northern Minnesota — Jim Oberstar, Mary Olson and Brita Sailer soundly defeated, with Persell and Skoe most likely to be next to go; Democrats will have to fight for a redistricting plan that includes a U.S. House district that includes everything from Duluth west... taking in the Indian reservations of Net Lake, Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth. This will assure native American Indians have a voice in the Minnesota state Legislature as well as a voice in Washington representing native American Indians from Minnesota. All working people will then have a voice in government.
Obviously Minnesota House and Senate Districts 4A and 4 need to have their boundaries redrawn to enable native American Indians to have voices at the real seat of power. There is nothing new about using redistricting to assure full representation of people of color in the political process; the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on this are very clear. Redistricting to end racism and enhance democracy for everyone is the way to enforce affirmative action in the electoral process the same way affirmative action (Executive Order 11246) is intended to end poverty by ending discrimination in employment.
The Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party has a most dismal and disgraceful record in each area and “the chickens have come home to roost.” Now is the time for real change.
Alan L. Maki
Director of Organizing
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council
Warroad
