It is unacceptable that the 712,000 people who live in DC should have no representation in Congress.
In South Dakota ( population 892,000) the idea of DC being made a State of the Union was recently rejected because, I quote, it is “incredibly smaller than any other state in geography. The major economic activity is government” and “DC’s economy lacks basic human economic activities”. ( Excuse me!)
The country is, as usual, split according to dominant party, the Democrat states being supportive of statehood for DC. (Well, of course, you might think). It looks as if legislation will pass the House in favour of statehood, but it needs 60 votes instead of 51 to pass because of the filibuster and is therefore probably dead on arrival.
This situation occurs in a country that has for decades thrust its democratic ideals ecstatically and sometimes brashly, in front of the world at large, yet disenfranchises 712,000 people in DC. Historically it has been one party that has made the most noise about the joys of democracy, but which disenfranchises those who don’t vote for it whenever it can.
When the mob stormed and trashed the Capitol recently it was the District’s police and first responders who defended the building and a voting system in which they have no say. And by the way, the majority of the DC population is Black and Brown: disenfranchised.
My comment: What can possibly be the relevance of size of territory to the issue of individual votes? What a pathetic argument! The US is either a democracy-for-everyone or it is not – acreage is irrelevant (or a bad joke). This is all part of a constant effort to take away the votes of people who do not vote a “certain way”. It is happening at this very moment all over the country and should be reversed. One man , one vote! One woman, one vote!
Yes, I have strayed into party politics. Mea culpa. But this is about justice and fear of autocratic government, the very antithesis of Epicureanism. There should be no argument about the right of every man and woman of voting age having the right to vote, and as easily and conveniently as possible. Ban gerrymandering! (Inspired by an article of 2/28/21 in the Washington Post).