‘Are we going to make a mockery out of this democracy?’
WASHINGTON — Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., criticized the national fight over redistricting in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” saying the country is going through “a repeat of a history that led to catastrophic consequences in our previous history.”
At the start of the interview, Clyburn was asked if he agreed with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, Democrat of Missouri, who opposed his state’s redistricting and argued that “if you fight fire with fire long enough, all you’ll be left with is ashes.”
“I completely agree with him,” Clyburn said.
Clyburn pointed to the emergence of Jim Crow after the end of the Reconstruction period following the Civil War, arguing that these racist laws and Supreme Court decisions like Plessy v. Ferguson “made a mockery of democracy.”
“This is what we are approaching today,” he added, asking: “Are we going to continue our quest for a more perfect union, or are we going to make a mockery of this democracy?”
His comments come after the Supreme Court allowed Texas to use a new map of congressional districts, which could help Republicans pick up five House seats in next year’s midterm elections. Texas’ decision has sparked redistricting battles across the country, with state lawmakers on both sides pushing to redraw maps to favor their party.
Separately, Clyburn responded to former first lady Michelle Obama’s comments last month by saying the United States is not ready to have a female president.
Asked if he agreed with Obama, Clyburn said she “was absolutely right” but argued that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.
“If you look at history, we have demonstrated that we are not ready,” Clyburn said. “These are incredible women who came forward: Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and I think we’re getting there. That’s why we can’t afford to go back.”
He added that “just because it doesn’t look like we’re ready doesn’t mean we should stop the pursuit.”
“My father always told me, ‘Son, the darkest time of the night is that moment just before dawn.’ And so we may be in a dark moment when it comes to women serving as president, but we can be in that moment just before the dawn, where the woman will serve,” he continued. “And for that to happen, they have to escape.”
