Politically motivated redistricting is bad for the voters and for democracy

That's right. This isn't just a game between political parties, but one that marginalizes a large percentage of the state's voters. It's wrong, and the practice must change. The voters must insist.

Democrats used gerrymandering for decades to maintain a stranglehold on the N.C. General Assembly. Now that Republicans who once opposed the practice have control of state government, they have eagerly embraced it, carving out districts that virtually guarantee they will maintain their majority in the General Assembly. They also successfully shifted control of North Carolina's congressional district from majority Democratic to majority Republican. Only one congressional seat, that of 7th District Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre, was even considered competitive – and that was largely because he is well known in the Cape Fear region, whereas his opponent, former state Sen. David Rouzer of Johnston County, was virtually unknown here.

An earlier version of the district likely would still have favored Republicans but grouped several coastal counties together into a cohesive district that made geographic sense. The version that passed the legislature drew McIntyre's home out of the district and now expands all the way to Johnston County, which has little in common with this area.

It bears almost no resemblance to the much more sensible district that was first proposed. At one point the Honorables' shenanigans put a single resident in Duplin County into a different district than everyone else in the county.

Other districts, both at the congressional and state legislative levels, snake and bend unnaturally in an effort to isolate blocs of voters considered to lean Democratic.

This is an issue many North Carolinians, regardless of political affiliation, surely can embrace. Among the better alternatives is a system that already operates successfully in some other states. An independent commission with broad representation would draft new district lines every 10 years, with instructions to keep the districts as compact as possible. To prevent an appointed commission from having too much control, the Honorables would still have to approve the final redistricting maps. They just wouldn't have their fingerprints all over the process.

Although legislation has been introduced to make the changes, effective when the 2020 census results are in, legislators have lacked interest. Now a coalition that advocates a less political redistricting system is taking its case directly to the voters. The N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform will be in Wilmington Wednesday.

The public is invited to attend the panel discussion, which will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Pearsall Presbyterian Church, 3902 Market St. Attend if you're interested in learning more.

Lawmakers have seven years to reform a system that makes a mockery of government by the people. They'll only act if the voters – you – apply enough pressure.