Why Merging These Six U.S. States Improves American Democracy
The Idamondaknebing Commonwealth (pronounced EYE-duh-MON-duck-NE-bing) is a proposal that will unite a likeminded region composed of Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
This proposal was initially created as a response to the Baltimore Sun Editorial Board’s response to US Representative Dusty Johnson’s Proposal to merge the residential region of the District of Columbia with Maryland where they proposed merging Wyoming with South Dakota. However, this proved to be more of an interesting thought experiment.
Just as Dusty Johnson had no business in standing against DC statehood as it is popular amongst actual DC residents and it is favored by many Americans as well, I have little business making a case for the Idamondaknebing Commonwealth which would include what is not Dusty Johnson’s homestate of South Dakota. However, I will make the case regardless.
This region would be able to unite its various strengths in industry and education to create a functional state of over 7 million hardworking Americans.
Furthermore, this proposal acknowledges the importance of the patriotic duty to America to accurately represent the needs of Americans, especially when it means coming together to make life better for the whole.
After all, it is up to all regions to pull their own weight. No state should expect to get special treatment when the regions over 400 thousand veterans fought for all Americans as equals. Uniting this region into one commonwealth acknowledges this truth as it would bind states with extremely small populations alone into a larger state which could compete with states like New Jersey or Virginia.
After all, the Commonwealth has a variety of job opportunities, from mining to real estate, that span across nearly 550 thousand square miles of land. Idamondaknebing is among the wealthiest states thanks to the economic power of it various regions which used to be individual states.
Although the Commonwealth’s population would be comparable to that of Massachusetts, it is over 70 times larger in area than the state. As a matter of fact, in total area, Idamondaknebing is second only to Alaska (a state with less than 11% of the Commonwealth’s population). This means families can stay in rural communities near the beautiful natural scenery far from the hustle and bustle of the big city. After all the population density of the Commonwealth is less than 13 residents per square mile.
Finally, the shared history of those who traveled great lengths to Western territories binds the history of this territory, the shared beauties of the regions’ national parks, and shared aesthetic scenery are more reasons that region should unite into a single state.
While the creation of the Commonwealth may seem less than ideal as it does force Idamondaknebingans to compromise senate seats in favor of a united region that tends to promote greater local government control. This seems to be a fair tradeoff that ensures that Idamondaknebingans can protect their values as a united front while maintaining the American value of equality and justice.
Perhaps, Idamondaknebing may never find statehood, but at least this does not impact the will be without have voting representation that not only represents them but disproportionately does so.
This is something DC residents do not even have. The non-statehood of DC is a continuation of the three-fifths compromise into the 21st century and this becomes apparent after recognizing the demographics of other low population states which tend to also have overwhelming percentages of white people.
“…the present form of alien government is about as bad as to be devised. But a system which gives the control of the district to ignorant and depraved Negroes is still worse…” -The Washington Post (1878)
It seems statehood and non-statehood has previously been a tool for upholding white supremacy, but the US senate has a chance to prove Americans wrong. Republicans and Moderate Democrats have a chance to be on the right side of history. They have an opportunity to regain the trust of the American people.
Otherwise, they should listen to their own flawed arguments against DC statehood and recognize why these arguments contradict American values. There is no rational justification for the continued disenfranchisement of Americans.
Denying DC statehood is all part of the larger Republican power grab which has consisted of voter supression, gerrymandering, and unfair representation in the senate in order to artificially increase representation in government.
This is not to suggest Democrats are innocent for they often fail to represent the interests of those they pretend to heed; however, the choice of statehood should not be up to Democrats, Republicans, or any other party. It should be solely up to the people of DC who overwhelmingly support statehood for their residential regions.
Like with the states within the Idamondaknebing Commonwealth, DC also has a history of travelers and others who hoped for a better life for themselves and their children. This included both free and enslaved black people who fought for liberation. It is the patriotic duty of Americans to grant the descendants of those fighting for liberation the dignity of statehood on the land that became their homes.
So while the proposal for the Idamondaknebing Commonwealth was purely a thought experiment, the right to self determination by the people of DC should not be treated as a thought experiment. DC statehood should be a reality.
