Strip glorified Boss Hoggs of monopoly on power

This was actually published in the Orlando Sentinel on Jan. 17, 2010 but it's very pertinent right now. I will elaborate tomorrow.

Will someone please give Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell a medal for telling it like it is, again ("Fair districts? Parties unite in opposition," Wednesday). The drawing of congressional borders according to demographics should be illegal on the simple grounds that it violates our right to be represented as Americans and Floridians, not as Republicans or Democrats.

When I first learned of gerrymandering in civics class, I always pictured Boss Hogg from the Dukes of Hazzard, controlling his county with money and lies. His depiction was to be laughed at, and not taken seriously.

Here we are in the 21st century with the world's most powerful ruling body being run by a bunch of glorified Boss Hoggs. The bickering and partisan politics that go on in Washington and Tallahassee will never end as long as the people allow practices like this to continue

I hope that the growing group of independent voters will see this as a clear violation of their right to be heard and vote for this amendment to stop gerrymandering in all its forms. This goes to the core of what's wrong in Washington. The only way to "begin" to stop it is to remove the monopoly that the two parties have on power in our country.

Charles E. Marshall Clermont