We don’t live in a democratic country, at least not at the national level. Since 2000, Republican presidents Bush and

Trump each lost the popular vote, meaning the majority of Americans did not want them as leaders. They wanted

Gore and Clinton. One man/one woman did not equal one vote. What is the point of blue and red states voting for president anymore when the seven ‘swing’ states determine the election?

Washington State has a population of about 7.6 million, Idaho about 1.7. Yet each gets two senators in Congress. This means a rural Republican state, with one-quarter of the population, has as much clout as a more populous Democratic one: Republican votes have more power than Democratic ones since most rural states are red. Less is really more when it comes to the Senate.

In the House, we would expect a fairer ratio since the number of representatives each state receives depends on population. However, there is so much gerrymandering, by each party, that a representative’s constituents bear no relation to natural township or county boundaries. The resulting voting maps look like distorted puzzle pieces.

The Constitution that has created this undemocratic environment is 235 years old. Many other issues/concerns besides voting inequality have arisen in that time — like handguns, AK-47 rifles, civil rights, abortion rights,  immigration quotas, Medicare, Social Security — which our forefathers could never have imagined and which need attention as well.

Software updates are common now. Old cars are traded in for new ones. Old homes are renovated. And yet we still stick to an old constitution like it’s written in stone. A diverse country of 330 million citizens needs to have a living constitution that reflects current life — of the people, by the people, for the people, ALL of them, democratically. A Constitution 2.0.

John Delaney

Port Townsend