So where does Adrian Fenty, the District's new Democratic nominee for mayor (or essentially the mayor-elect) stand on expanded voting rights for the District? In support, of course. According to the AP, Fenty "plans on knocking on every door in Congress and talking to people to get them on our side." (Express)
There are a million reasons why DC will never become a state or get representation in the Senate, but this is really the only reason that matters: people like the number fifty.
Fifty is a good number. People feel comfortable with fifty. Safe. Secure in an otherwise insecure world. For centuries now, American school children have learned that there are fifty states in this great nation. You try and take that away, and there will be consequences. Remember the firestorm of rage and confusion that erupted a couple of weeks ago when someone decided that Pluto wasn't really a planet after all? Multiply that by a billion, and that would be America's collective reaction to adding a state.
Fifty states means one hundred senators. One hundred is another really good number that people seem to enjoy. One hundred and two? No. Not at all.
Guam. Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands. The Northern Mariana Islands. We've resisted the urge to make any of them states. What makes DC so special? Aside from the fact that it's the epicenter of our government, I mean.
The only way DC could possibly become a state is if America contracted one of the states that we already have. I don't think Virginians would be too pleased at the idea of merging with West Virginia, so perhaps collapse North and South Dakota into simply Dakota. Or maybe sell a state off. After the past six years, can anyone think of a single good reason to keep Florida? Anyone?
But neither of those seems likely to happen. So remember, Mayor-Elect Fenty, fifty. Fifty states. That's what people are comfortable with. You screw that up and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that you'd be messing with the very fabric of our society, and could well plunge this country into complete and total anarchy. And I'm pretty sure that's not something you campaigned on.
4 comments:
I very much agree with the crux of your argument, but much more to how the number 51 would relate to the Flag. Can you imagine the lone little DC star stuck into somewhere on the very nicely arranged setup? The people would never stand for it.
history note: children have learned about the 50 states for decades, since 1959 when Alaska and Hawaii were added. Which is about how long children have recited the pledge using the term "Under God."
Yeah, it was a joke. ;)
My public school education sucked, but it didn't suck that hard.
duns, baby--
gotta hand it to ya. really had me goin' there a minute. course what's gonna happen is, rethugs gonna pass the davis/norton "1 house member for dc and 1 for utah" bill in a desperate attempt to lower black voter contempt for rethug candidates in november 2006. which ain't gonna work, but they're gonna pass it. senators, not in fenty's lifetime. not even with strom thurmond dead and trent lott neutered (politically.) so no statehood. no star on the flag. but 1/3 of the representation DC is entitled to. just like blacks have 1/3 of the wealth whites do... see, it all works out...
it's true. the government doesn't care about dc, just like it didn't care about new orleans. seems like there's a connection here...
adopt katrina's kids
(click on the rollovers)
maybe we get rid of florida and texas let dc and iraq count both be states...but only a few crazy rich bastards get to vote from each place?
or forget it. only christians should be able to vote.
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