Lynch makes plea to protect put-upon ethnic group in congressional redistricting

By adamg on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 8:54pm

Won't anybody think of the Irish? According to the Dorchester Reporter, Steve Lynch urged a legislative redistricting committee not to break up his 9th District because that would mean breaking up the most Irish congressional district in the country.

The 2010 federal census means Massachusetts is losing one of its ten congressional districts.

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Comments

Great idea

By anon on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 10:44pm.

Damn, that's a really well-thought-out idea. Lynch really put on his thinking cap to assemble that well-crafted, bullet-proof proposal. There ain't nothing more important than the percentage of Irish-American voters in a district.

If you're David Lynch

By anon² on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 9:19am.

there isn't.

I'll be glad to see him go.

Diabhal's Advocate

By Suldog on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 9:20am.

There have been previous instances of districts being crafted so as to ensure representation of various ethnic groups (or, conversely, to ensure that minorities wouldn't have a strong vote.) It can't rightly be shot down based only on past performance.

In addition, it's a brilliant political move for Lynch. His constituency IS largely Irish-American, so arguing for this will galvanize their support.

(Disclaimer: I personally find the re-drawing of districts to favor one group over another an abhorrent practice. I'm just pointing out that Lynch is hardly an idiot in advocating for it.)

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

Different issue though

By eeka on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 1:48pm.

Irish-Americans aren't currently an oppressed minority though. As a group, they don't have interests that differ from mainstream Massachusettsean interests and that are likely to get quashed if their collective voice isn't heard.

Says Who?

By Suldog on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 3:39pm.

[Now that's a witty retort! Top that, eeka!]

I could give you some arguments concerning the Irish being subject to certain things that those whom you might consider oppressed are not (for instance, I would contend that they are probably the only ethnic group that can be defamed with impunity - portrayed as habitual drunkards, for instance - on TV, in print, in cartoons, etc., without any of the usual ACLU-type suspects coming to their aid) but I think we can have more fun with your second sentence, since I don't believe it will hinge on my subjective opinion.

Who are you to say that Irish-Americans "don't have interests that differ from mainstream Massachusettsean interests"? No offense, my friend, but are you an Irish-American? If you aren't, well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion concerning us, but you don't know. And, even if you are, what could possibly give you the stupendous gall to appoint yourself spokesperson for the entire population? That's just as hideous as Lynch more-or-less asking that he be such.

eeka, you know I like you, so no offense intended (and, as stated previously, I find ALL instances of governmental favoritism - whether for supposed good end purpose or not - abhorrent, as well as counter-productive to the advance of society as a whole) but, well, really. You can't expect to say such a thing in response and have it go unchallenged. At least not with my hotheaded Irish temper, damn it!

(If I've gone overboard, excuse me. It's 3:35 on Friday and I can't wait for 5 to roll around so I can go get a couple of brews. Toity toity toy.)

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

Yet another argument in favor

By anon on Fri, 07/15/2011 - 12:46pm.

Yet another argument in favor of proportional representation, or *something* better than gerrymandered winner-take-all districts.