It isn't easy these days under the tyranny of Governor Abigail Spanberger to find much light in Virginia. But yesterday the Supreme Court of Virginia set off some colorful fireworks. The judges declared that the redistricting election was unconstitutional, since the Democrats violated procedural rules for amending the state constitution. The Democrats immediately made plans to appeal to the Supreme Court based on the dissenting opinion of Judge Cleo Powell. You can read the decision and dissent here. It was close, four to three, like the vote on the amendment itself which squeaked through. But the wording of the amendment was a lie and a fraud:
Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia's standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?
There was nothing "fair" about a redistricting measure that gave the Democrats a 10 to 1 advantage in the state. And since when are constitutional amendments "temporary?" Here's an explanation of gerrymandering from GovFacts:
Every ten years, America redraws its electoral map. These aren’t just lines on paper—they determine who represents you in Congress, who sits in your state legislature, and whose voices get heard in the halls of power.
This process, called redistricting, is supposed to be fair and neutral. But too often, it becomes gerrymandering—the deliberate manipulation of district lines to rig elections and silence voters.
The difference matters enormously. Fair redistricting ensures every vote counts equally. Gerrymandering lets politicians choose their voters instead of voters choosing their politicians. Understanding both processes is essential for protecting democratic representation.
The way these lines are drawn affects who gets heard by elected officials, whose interests are prioritized in policymaking, and ultimately, who can win elections. The inherent tension lies in the fact that the necessary act of redistricting, designed to ensure fairness, also presents an opportunity for those in power to manipulate outcomes for their benefit.
Unfortunately, gerrymandering seems to be the default position of both parties days. For us in Virginia the drama isn't quite over. Democrats are appealing to the Supreme Court, which, based on the fact that this case resolves around the state constitution, seems unlikely to take up the case. We'll see. If they do, it will have implications for all the redistricting efforts in the country.
We need to pray for justice in our electoral system. Every legal vote should count. Election fraud needs to be severely punished. We live in a time when lying and cheating are endemic and almost worn as a badge of honor. It's a good time to remember what John Adams wrote about our country in 1798 as president of the United States:
While our country remains untainted with the principles and manners which are now producing desolation in so many parts of the world; while she continues sincere, and incapable of insidious and impious policy, we shall have the strongest reason to rejoice in the local destination assigned us by Providence. But should the people of America once become capable of that deep simulation towards one another, and towards foreign nations, which assumes the language of justice and moderation while it is practising iniquity and extravagance, and displays [229] in the most captivating manner the charming pictures of candor, frankness, and sincerity, while it is rioting in rapine and insolence, this country will be the most miserable habitation in the world; because we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. (FROM TO THE OFFICERS OF THE FIRST BRIGADE OF THE THIRD DIVISION OF THE MILITIA OF MASSACHUSETTS, 11 October, 1798)
Pray for our poor country and for our people, especially the liars and cheats who are destroying everything they touch. Ultimately, justice will rule, but, perhaps, only when these folks face the judgment seat of God. Let's make sure we are on the side of true justice, not the simulation of virtue signaling while "rioting in rapine and insolence" making our country "the most miserable habitation in the world."
Preserve us, O Lord, and make us a repentant and holy people who love your law and keep it.
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