>>> STARTING LAST YEAR, THERE HAVE BEEN A STRING OF COURT
DECISIONS STRIKING DOWN PARTISAN
GERRYMANDERERS, WITH JUDGES IN
WISCONSIN, PENNSYLVANIA,
WISCONSIN, PENNSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, AND NORTH CAROLINA,
RULING THAT LEGISLATIVE
DISTRICTS WERE ILLEGALLY DRAWN
TO BENEFIT A POLITICAL PARTY.
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT,
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. AND NOW, A FEDERAL COURT IN
MICHIGAN HAS RULED THAT THE
POLITICAL MAPS WERE ILLEGALLY
RIGGED BY REPUBLICANS TO, QUOTE,
HISTORICAL PROPORTIONS.
HISTORICAL PROPORTIONS. AND ORDERED NEW MAPS AND SPECIAL
EARLY ELECTIONS.
EARLY ELECTIONS. THIS IS A BIG DEAL.
LAST YEAR, MICHIGAN VOTERS
OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED AN
ANTI-GERRYMANDERING BALLOT
ANTI-GERRYMANDERING BALLOT INITIATIVE, WHICH BEGAN WITH
MICHIGAN RESIDENT KATIE FAHEY
WHO’S FEATURED IN A NEW
DOCUMENTARY ON GERRYMANDERING
CALLED "SLAY THE DRAGON."
JOINING ME NOW TALK ABOUT THIS,
KATIE FAHEY, FOUNDERS OF VOTERS
NOT POLITICIANS.
NOT POLITICIANS. ALSO WITH ME, BARRETT GOODMAN,
CO-DIRECTOR OF THE NEW
DOCUMENTARY, "SLAY THE DRAGON."
WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHAT’S THE DRAGON?
>> IT’S THE GERRYMANDERER, IT IS
THIS THING THAT WE’VE HAD SINCE
THE FOUNDING OF AMERICA.
WHICH BASICALLY RIGS ELECTIONS
TEN YEARS AT A TIME BASED ON ONE
POLITICAL PARTY OR THE OTHER
HAVING MORE CONTROL.
>> AND IN THE BEGINNING, ONE OF
THESE THINGS WAS SHAPED LIKE A
SALAMANDER WHICH GOT THE NAME
GERRYMANDERING, BUT THE POINT IS
IS, THIS HAS BEEN WITH US FOR A
LONG TIME.
LONG TIME. WHAT’S DIFFERENT NOW?
>> WHAT’S DIFFERENT IS THAT ONE
POLITICAL PARTY FIGURED OUT HOW
TO WEAPONIZE THIS, OLD POLITICAL
DIRTY TRICK, AND MAKE IT A
NATIONAL STRATEGY.
NATIONAL STRATEGY. THAT HAPPENED IN 2011, RIGHT
AFTER THE 2010 CENSUS.
SO THEY FIGURED OUT THAT IF THEY
WON A BUNCH OF STATE
LEGISLATURES ALL AROUND THE
COUNTRY, THEY WOULD CONTROL THE
REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AND THEY
COULD GERRYMANDER THOSE STATES
SO THEY COULD BASICALLY CHEAT
THEIR WAY BACK INTO POWER AND
HOLD ONTO POWER FOR A DECADE
UNTIL THE NEXT REDISTRICTING.
>> KATIE, HOW DO YOU -- YOU
COULDN’T HAVE EVEN BEEN IN --
YOU KNOW, YOU WERE A KID IN
SCHOOL AT THE TIME.
HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THIS?
>> YEAH, SO I REMEMBER LEARNING
ABOUT GERRYMANDERING IN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ACTUALLY AND
ASKING MY TEACHER, YOU KNOW, IF
WE KNOW IT’S BROKEN, WHY DON’T
WE FIX IT?
>> EXCELLENT QUESTION.
>> I GOT AN IT’S ALWAYS BEEN
THIS WAY.
THIS WAY. AFTER THE 2016 ELECTION,
MICHIGAN BEHAVED IN A REALLY
INTERESTING WAY.
INTERESTING WAY. IN THE PRIMARIES A LOT OF
VOTERS -- ACTUALLY BERNIE
SANDERS WON THEN DONALD TRUMP
WON IN THE GENERAL AND WHEN I
WAS GOING TO THANKSGIVING
DINNER, I WAS REALLY NERVOUS.
I DIDN’T WANT TO GO.
MY FAMILY WAS VERY POLITICALLY
DIVIDED.
DIVIDED. THY THEY STARTED TALKING ABOUT
POLITICS.
POLITICS. I THOUGHT, WHAT DO THE TWO
CHARACTERS HAVE IN COMMON?
IT’S THE MESSAGE OF TEAR DOWN
THE SYSTEM, WE HAVE TO RESTART.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
>> THAT’S SYSTEMIC FRUSTRATION
THAT VOTERS FEEL BECAUSE THEY
REALIZE WHEN THEY SHOW UP TO THE
BALLOT NO MINORITYATTER WHO THEY
FOR, THEY’RE NOT GETTING
SOLUTIONS.
SOLUTIONS. JERRYGERRYMANDERING IS PART OF T
REASON WHY.
REASON WHY. MATHEMATICALLY, WE GET DIVIDED
UP ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS, WHETHER
WE SHOW UP AT THE BALLOT BOX OR
NOT OUR VOICES DON’T MATTER AS
MUCH AS THEY SHOULD AND LOST OUR
POWER TO UNELECT PEOPLE WE DON’T
LIKE AND ELECT PEOPLE WE DO
LIKE.
LIKE. >> AND THEN YOU COME OUT, YOU U
MERGE FROM THANKSGIVING DINNER
AND REALIZE THAT THERE’S -- THAT
THE PROBLEM IS ONE YOU SHOULD
DEAL WITH.
DEAL WITH. PEOPLE ARE ANGRY ABOUT SYSTEMS
THAT ARE BROKEN, THIS IS ONE OF
THE EASIEST TO COMPREHEND, LIKE
LOOK AT AN ELECTORAL MAP AND
TELL ME WHY THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT IT?
>> YEAH, SO I MADE THIS FACEBOOK
POST.
POST. I WASN’T IN POLITICS.
IT GOT SHARED A BUNCH.
IN MICHIGAN WE HAVE THE BALLOT
INITIATIVE PROCESS, IF PEOPLE IN
MICHIGAN CAN WRITE
CONSTITUTIONAL LANGUAGE, GATHER
A TON OF SIGNATURES, THE
POPULISTPOP
POPULISTPOP POPULOUS CAN VOTE ON IT IN A
GENERAL ELECTION.
GENERAL ELECTION. I THOUGHT LST NOTHERE’S NO WAY T
LEGISLATURE CAN INTERFERE, LET’S
GO FOR DIRECT DEMOCRACY, SEE IF
PEOPLE WANT VOTERS TO CHOOSE,
RATHER THAN THE OTHER WAY
AROUND.
AROUND. >> WHAT IS THE SOLUTION MOVING
FORWARD?
FORWARD? THERE ARE GOING TO BE A NUMBER
OF THESE CASES, PARTICULARLY
NORTH CAROLINA, NOW MICHIGAN,
THAT ARE GOING TO -- THAT ARE
GOING TO THE SUPREME COURT.
WHAT DO REGULAR PEOPLE WHO ARE
MAD ABOUT THIS DO?
MICHIGAN, IT DID, TO KATIE’S
POINT, IT GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE
OUT THERE TO VOTE.
SOME ARGUE, MICHAEL MOORE HAS
BEEN ON WITH ME SAYING THAT,
ALONE, GOT PEOPLE TO VOTE TO GO
UT
UT OUT TO VOTE BECAUSE IT WAS AN
INITIATIVE THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO
THEM.
THEM. WHAT DOES THE REST OF THE
COUNTRY DO?
COUNTRY DO? WE
WE IN ALL OF OUR STATES, WE HAVE
GERRYMANDERED DISTRICTS.
GERRYMANDERED DISTRICTS. >> THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS.
WE CAN’T RELY ON THE SUPREME
COURT.
COURT. BETTING MONEY IS THIS SUPREME
COURT WILL NOT FIND WITH THE
PLAINTIFFS IN THESE VARIOUS
STATES, UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE
THESE CASES TO ME ARE OPEN AND
SHUT.
SHUT. WHAT KATIE DEMONSTRATED, KATIE
AND HER FOLKS IN MICHIGAN
DEMONSTRATED IN STATES THAT HAVE
BALLOT REFERENDA, ORDINARY
CITIZENS CAN TAKE THIS ON,
THROUGH THE REFERENDUM PROCESS,
THEY CAN BASICALLY TAKE THE
POWER TO REDISTRICT AWAY FROM
LEGISLATURES AND INVEST IT IN
CITIZENS GROUPS INSTEAD.
IF THE STATE -- IF A STATE
DOESN’T HAVE THAT ABILITY, I
WOULD JUST SAY VOTERS SHOULD
VOTE ON THIS ISSUE.
I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE LEGISLATORS
NOT WILL TO GIVE UP THE POWER TO
REDISTRICT, IT MAKES NO SENSE
FOR POLITICIANS TO BE DRAWING
THEIR OWN LINES.
IT’S JUST A CONFLICT OF INTEREST
ON ITS FACE.
SO VOTE ON THE ISSUE.
ELECT THOSE POLITICIANS WHO ARE
WILLING TO GIVE UP THAT POWER
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IT IS A
TOTALLY CORRUPT SYSTEM AND AS
YOU POINT OUT, IT’S AFFECTING
STATES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
>> KATIE, THERE ARE POWERS
BEHIND THIS.
BEHIND THIS. THIS DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE PUT MONEY
INTO CERTAIN ELECTIONS THAT THEY
CAN INFLUENCE SO THAT THEY, AS
YOU SAID, THEY GOT THE PEOPLE IN
POSITION TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE
TO REDISTRICT IN THEIR FAVOR.
CAN THIS BE FOUGHT ON A CITIZEN
LEVEL?
LEVEL? >> YEAH, I THINK WE’RE PROOF
THAT IT WAS.
YOU KNOW, IT WASN’T JUST ME, IT
WAS ACTUALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON HOLD FOR
TWO YEARS TO DEDICATE THEIR
TIME, ENERGY, THEIR RESOURCES TO
TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT FEELS
LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT IN
CIVICS CLASS.
CIVICS CLASS. >> YEP.
>> YEP. >> THE REALITY IS THAT PEOPLE
RECOGNIZE THAT POLITICS IS NOT
WORKING FOR THE EVERYDAY PERSON,
ESPECIALLY IN MICHIGAN.
AND IT HASN’T BEEN FOR DECADES,
WHETHER THE DEMOCRATS ARE JERRY
GERRYMANDERJERRY
GERRYMANDERJERRY GERRYMANDERING OR THE
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. UNTIL WE START FIXING SOME OF
THESE THINGS, WE’RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO BE UNHAPPY AND THE
PEOPLE WHO SUFFER ARE THE EVERY
EVERYDAY PEOPLE.
EVERYDAY PEOPLE. WE HAD OVER 4,000 PEOPLE
GATHERING SIGNATURES.
GATHERING SIGNATURES. HAD4425 SIGNATURED EDDS EDS
GATHERED.
GATHERED. WE FILLED THE SUPREME COURT AND
HAD 300 PEOPLE OUTSIDE.
THIS WAS CONNECTED TO VOTERS.
IT FELT LIKE A WAY WE COULD
START ADDRESSING THE ISSUES.
>> THERE’S A PIECE FROM THE
FILM, I WANT TO ASK MY CONTROL
ROOM IF WE’VE GOT IT.
THERE’S A SHORT BIT OF YOU IN
THE DOCUMENTARY THAT I JUST
THINK CAPTURES WHAT YOU WERE
THINKING AND HOW YOU GOT THIS TO
CATCH FIRE.
CATCH FIRE. LET’S LISTEN TO IT.
>> I THINK FLINT WOKE PEOPLE UP.
JUST SITTING AND WATCHING, LIKE,
THESE POLITICIANS JUST SO
BLATANTLY DISREGARD THE WILL OF
THE PEOPLE, YOU HAVE THESE
OFFICIALS WHO FEEL UNTOUCHABLE.
WHO FEEL LIKE THEY CAN’T GET
UNELECTED BECAUSE THEY DESIGNED
AND RIGGED A SYSTEM TO MAKE IT
THAT WAY.
THAT WAY. I JUST REACHED A POINT WHERE IT
WAS LIKE, WHY AREN’T WE -- HOW
CAN WE DO THINGSOMETHING ABOUT T
LIKE, HOW?
LIKE, HOW? >> THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE,
BARAK, IN THIS COUNTRY, WHO WILL
WATCH THIS FILM WHO WERE THE
ONES WHO WERE BEHIND
GERRYMANDERING.
GERRYMANDERING. THIS IS NOT A RANDOM THING.
>> NO.
>> NO. >> THEY ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE
THIS.
THIS. AS YOU SAID, THE SUPREME COURT,
THE BETTING IS NOT THAT THEY
WILL RULE FOR THE PLAINTIFFS,
BUT THEY WILL REDOUBLE THEIR
EFFORTS TO DO WHAT THEY WERE
DOING.
DOING. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WHO ARE -- WHO ARE PEOPLE WHO
WANT TO FIX THIS BROKEN SYSTEM
UP AGAINST?
UP AGAINST? >> THEY’RE UP AGAINST ENTRENCHED
MONEY.
MONEY. THEY’RE UP AGAINST PLUTOCRATS
WHO HAVE ENORMOUS POWER IN THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. THEY’RE UP AGAINST INCUMBENT
POLITICIANS WHO DON’T WANT TO
FACE THE VOTERS AND HAVE A FREE
AND FAIR ELECTION.
AND IT’S NOT -- IT’S NOT JUST
REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICANS. ALTHOUGH REPUBLICANS HAVE
PERFECTED THE ART.
IT’S DEMOCRATS, TOO.
THERE’S A CASE IN FRONT OF THE
SUPREME COURT INVOLVING A
DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT.
DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT. IT’S REALLY ABOUT INCOMEKUMCUMBE
WANTING A COMPETITIVE ELECTION.
AND UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, WE
REALLY DON’T HAVE A REAL
DEMOCRACY IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE
FILM.
FILM. THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT SO MANY
AMERICANS WILL FIND INSPIRING.
GETTING UP AND TAKING ACTION
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN’T
THINK WAS RIGHT.