The United States of America has 24 Congressional “Ghost” Districts
By Jim Bates, former United States Congressman
Most people don’t realize that the United States of America has 24 Congressional “Ghost” Districts. This fact is probably America’s best kept secret! But what do we mean by “Ghost” Districts?
Every 10 years, under Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, it requires a Census to be taken in order to determine an accurate count of the population of the United States of America, and to quote, “Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states.”
That means to count the citizens, to determine how many Congressional Districts are to be created in each State, and to further allocate Electoral College Votes and Federal funds on that basis. This is known as the Redistricting process.
Somewhere along the line, the Census Bureau stopped counting only citizens and started counting the 18 million or more “illegal immigrants” or “non-citizens,” which on a cumulative basis transfers into 24 Congressional Districts. Since, illegal immigrants are not lawfully in the United States, they can be deported at any time. If they were all deported, and they can be, there would be no people in the 24 Congressional Districts, thus creating 24 Ghost Districts.
The 14th Amendment to the Constitution adopted in 1868 as part of the “Reconstruction” amendments which grant “Citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” consequently Black men were finally allowed to vote, but not Black women, but even under the 3/5th rule they were “citizens” and counted in the Census. Yet, no woman could vote until 52 years later when the 19th Amendment was adopted granting all women the right to vote.
I never thought of myself as a great Patriot, but when I recently learned what was happening with regard to the Redistricting process, I became very upset. I felt like my country was being undermined, that Democracy was being undermined, that our Constitution was being violated…We had all been “hoodwinked”…I didn’t know what I could do about the situation. Finally I decided to create an organization, and call it, “Stop Undermining Democracy Now” (SUDN).
As the United States Congressman from the 44th District in San Diego, California, my district touched the Mexican border. I never realized that non-citizens were actually being counted in the Census for the Redistricting process. That just sounds weird. I used to jokingly remark I represented and helped more people who couldn’t vote for me, than citizens who were eligible to vote for me. And I really loved helping everyone, regardless of who they were or where they came from. Though in representing San Diego’s African American community, I did deal with complaints that the health clinic in their neighborhood was often unavailable to them because of the large number of “illegal immigrants” using their facility. I remember Democrats saying refer to them as “undocumented immigrants,” because it sounded nicer, and it was just a matter of time a day they would be legal.
Often my Asian, Filipino, and Hispanic constituents would feel slighted because they came to the United States legally. They waited in line to immigrate the right way, which is the major reason of this major controversy of illegal immigrants.
The problem is further complicated by the creation of these “Ghost” District’s, when each individual district becomes an “Electoral College Vote” as prescribed by the Constitution. Thus, we have created 24 “Unconstitutional” Electoral College Votes. These Electoral Votes are cast every four years in the election for the President of the United States of America. “Illegal immigrants” voting in our Presidential election, that sounds insane. Now do you see why I became so upset!
Another factor in creating the 24 “Ghost” District’s is that the principal of “one man, one vote,” is that the effect of the 24 “Ghost” Districts is to dilute the vote of American Citizens, so that it is “one man, one .95 Vote.” That is clearly a case of “Undermining our Democracy,” and what SUDN will be fighting to correct.
The State of Alabama’s Attorney General, has already filed a lawsuit, with Congressman Mo Brooks as the plaintiff and his lawsuit already has “Standing,” which is a significant legal hurdle. Congressman Mo Brooks is to be highly commended for his courage.
As Aristotle said, “Courage is the first among the human qualities, because it is the one that guarantees the others.”
“We have been robbed,” of a Congressional seat, which is the battle cry of those States who have lost, or will lose a Congressional seat, an Electoral College Vote and Federal funding. States like Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, have lost seats to California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. Gone to “Ghost” District’s in the West, just like the “Ghost Towns,” there is no one living there.
It is the goal of SUDN to establish Chapters in every State, but particularly those States most impacted and take legislative and legal action where appropriate. We will revive the “Ghostbusters” and we will restore the Constitution and “stop undermining democracy now.”
This is not a partisan issue, but one for a patriot.
Category: Education, Events, Government, Local News, National News
