Guest Post: Politicians, Power, and the People of Missouri

How ordinary residents of Missouri are rising up with extraordinary efforts to uphold justice

Earlier this week I published a piece about the powerful work of ordinary residents of Indiana to prevent an illegal gerrymandered map from becoming law. Today, Let’s Address This publishes this guest post by Richard von Glahn, Executive Director of the Missouri based organization, People not Politicians. Von Glahn is helping lead the charge to prevent Trump’s illegal gerrymandering scheme from taking over Missouri. I publish these as living examples, as reminders that we are not helpless against the rising tide of autocracy. I want to show that when we work together, mobilize, and organize, we can transform our nation’s future towards justice. Read below and support People not Politicians. Let’s Address This.

Politicians, Power, and the People of Missouri

By: Richard von Glahn, Executive Director of People Not Politicians Missouri

The desperation of the Missouri GOP would be comical if not for the dire consequences and dangerous precedent it would establish if they get away with an unprecedented, unconstitutional mid-decade gerrymandering of the state’s congressional districts. The message they are sending Missouri’s voters: we know better than you, so shut up and take it.

But Missourians are fighting back—fighting for democracy, their right to fair representation, and to hold their elected officials accountable. And statewide Republican officeholders don’t like it.

Missouri Capitol Police officers conduct security checks on the 691 boxes of petitions filed by People Not Politicians to force a referendum on the gerrymandered Congressional district map passed by lawmakers in September. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)

This assault on the autonomy, independence, and even intelligence of Missouri voters began in September when, at President Donald Trump’s behest, lawmakers met in special session with the sole purpose of carving up the state’s congressional districts—and giving Republicans one more seat in Congress. Aside from the fact that the manner and timing of this redistricting is of questionable legality and violates the state constitution, the proposed map deprives Kansas City of a representative, splits up counties, towns, and school districts, and lumps together urban centers with rural farms. In short, it’s not good for anyone—except the politicians.

Hundreds of thousands of Missouri voters saw this for what it is: a power grab. So when a coalition of Missourians rose up to put the new maps on the ballot to let the voters decide, state Republicans were not happy. That’s when they launched their arsenal of dirty tricks.

Aside from the predictable, and questionable, lawsuits and legal challenges, the increasingly-desperate tactics deployed by Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins and Attorney General Catherine Hanaway are seemingly from the script of a low-budget political comedy—or a Kafkaesque novel. Hoskins initially refused to process the referendum paperwork, has since attempted to invalidate tens of thousands of signatures, proposed blatantly biased ballot language, and even hinted at criminal charges for petition signers. Hanaway has attempted to apply laughable legal arguments against the citizen-lead ballot measure, and sicced ICE on signature gathers—and accused them of “human trafficking.” There have been reports of attempted bribery of signature gathers to entice them to quit.

And then the Republican National Committee joined in the frey, sending inflammatory, misleading texts statewide, attempting to intimidate voters from signing a petition to put the gerrymandered maps on the ballot.

Their contempt and disregard for Missouri’s voters is breathtaking. But what the RNC and Missouri Republicans are selling, the voters aren’t buying. They are pushing back—hard. Or to paraphrase Princess Leia of Star Wars fame: The more they tighten their grip, the more voters slip through their fingers.

Residents of Missouri, with its well-deserved moniker “The Show-Me State,” are tired of being told what’s best for them, when they can see otherwise with their own eyes. Hundreds of thousands of Missouri voters have already signed the petition, and with every shady, deceitful tactic the state GOP deploys, more signatures come pouring in. But we know it’s not enough.

Millions of dollars in out-of-state, dark money contributions continue to blanket the state, in an attempt to keep the people from having their say. Our grassroots organization, People Not Politicians Missouri, are trying to keep up. Every donation helps. But we have something on our side the opposition does not: the will of the people, who have clearly demonstrated an enthusiasm to stand up for democracy.

I have nothing but pride for the iron will and strength of character of my fellow Missourians, who are fearless in their willingness to speak truth to power in defending their rights. Now that more than 300,000 signatures have been submitted—more than two and a half times the number required—the GOP’s response is as predictable as the seven stages of grief. They will transition from misinformation to lawfare to dirty tricks, and when they still fail to get their way, slip into tactics one might charitably describe as unethical and of questionable legality. But we cannot allow these forces to succeed, as to do so threatens democracy itself. We will need everyone’s help; half measures will not be enough.

Or in the words of Yoda: “Do or do not. There is no try.”

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Thank you for taking the time to read and engage. Democracy only survives when ordinary people refuse to look away. If you’re able, please support People Not Politicians.