Don’t gerrymander Andy Harris out of office

The Sun’s never-ending tirades against U.S. Rep. Andy Harris took a scarier turn when the editorial board gleefully seemed to endorse gerrymandering

Mr. Harris — and any Republican, for that matter — out of the congressional seat he’s been elected to for a decade, although most of his elections are not even close (“Democrats should absolutely end gerrymandering — the day Republicans do the same,” Nov. 15). His constituents approve of the congressman’s representation. A lot. (“Maryland legislators’ maps would leap U.S. Rep. Andy Harris’ district over the Chesapeake Bay to bring in more Democrats. Will they go further?” Nov. 14).

Voter suppression, anyone?

A few weeks ago, Marylanders were shocked when political leaders in three Western Maryland counties announced they were investigating the possibility of those counties seceding from Maryland, moving into West Virginia. What a laugh, huh?

Throughout the generally mocking tone of the news coverage — like how ungrateful can Washington, Allegheny and Garrett counties be with all that Maryland has given them — there was no mention of their beloved Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, who represented Western Maryland in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years until he was gerrymandered out of his seat by Maryland Democrats in 2013, conservative Western Maryland voters be damned.

Is that what we’re after now?

Maryland is not as liberal as a possible 8-0 Democratic congressional representation would indicate. The metropolitan corridor dominates our state politically, but travel west of Howard County and east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and you’ll find very different political values.

Gerrymander the last Republican congressional district off the state map? Maybe the Eastern Shore of Maryland will petition to become the Northern Shore of Virginia.