Defend Democracy and Condemn Texas’s Authoritarian Retaliation

I’m writing as a concerned citizen watching Texas’s leadership weaponize law enforcement against political dissent. Governor Abbott’s threat to arrest state legislators for leaving session to block a clearly gerrymandered redistricting plan is not governance; it’s authoritarianism. It’s retaliatory. And it’s dangerous. This isn’t about process — it’s about power. When elected officials are criminalized for protecting the voting rights of millions, that should set off alarms for everyone, regardless of political affiliation. I urge you to issue a public condemnation, hold hearings if necessary, and refuse to normalize this level of political retribution. Gerrymandering is already a blight on representative government, but jailing opponents of it is a death knell. I will not sit silently while democracy is dismantled. Do something.