Thread by @lekhashupeck

Y'all one thing I have to say - I am concerned that people are not making effective comments at public hearings - that they're making comments that can be easily ignored by the redistricting committee.

If you show up and talk about wanting an independent commission, or say you want fair maps without saying what that means in a very granular and specific way you are giving the committee license to ignore you.

The response from the legislators running the committee to those kinds of comments are basically going to be 1) we don't have an independent commission, so too bad, we're drawing the maps 2) we think the maps we're drawing *are* "fair"

I just want to point out that when self identified Republicans make comments at these committees, you know what kinds of things they say? (Besides "this process is perfect and infallible")

That say "I don't want my county to be split between Congressional districts" "I don't want my town paired with that big city in legislative districts"

Why do you think they're making those kinds of comments while so many progressives are out here saying things that are really generic and non-specific?

I believe it's because other Republicans with connections and power in this process have told them that those are the comments they can actually use - now and in any future litigation.

Now, if that's the case as I believe it is, that applies to everyone! Everyone can make an effective, geographically specific comment that is meaningful and effective in influencing this process.

If you've been to any @allontheline_nc testimony trainings you know we put tons of emphasis on this - because feasibily mappable comments are the only kind of comments that have been shown to have any effect on map outcomes

I believe the fact that Republicans who show up at these hearings are making feasibily mappable comments bears this out!

Everyone across the board should be thinking long and hard about how to use the two scant minutes they get at a public hearing effectively.

I know we're all frustrated. We live in a state that is and has been egregiously gerrymandered for a very long time. We're experiencing a process that isn't fair or equitable or accessible. We want to vent!

But when so few opportunities are given to us to even participate in the process, sure as hell I want everyone to be using those opportunities in a way that is effective not just now but over the long term

And that means making a very different kind of public comment than the vast majority of people are making at these hearings.

If you want to know how to make an effective comment, come to one of our trainings - you can sign up here: mobilize.us/allonthelinenc…

If you can't make it - watch the training we gave last night on Facebook here: fb.watch/80W7zqnNDo/

No Facebook? (good for you!) Watch on Youtube here:

I'm not doing this (just) to self-promote y'all. A lot of other orgs in this state have good testimony trainings that teach you to give geographically specific comments. The important thing is that you learn that skill, wherever you learn it, and deploy it effectively.

Please! I'm begging you! Save me from the curse of seeing good, passionate people not using their limited time and opportunities effectively. <3