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This Insane Font is Using Congressional Districts as Letters to Point Out Everything Wrong with Gerrymandering
01 August 2019
RENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images // Gerry Font
Gerrymandering—the practice of deceptively drawing congressional districts to give one party an electoral advantage—has plagued American democracy for over a century. Boundaries are drawn illogically for the sole purpose of including voters of one party in order to give that district a partisan hold.
In the United States, the unethical practice has largely benefitted Republicans. Just last month, the majority Republican-appointed Supreme Court ruled that the federal government can't intervene with partisan gerrymandering at the state level, despite gerrymandering producing an overwhelming amount of Republican state legislatures.
<p>The Supreme Court ruling led to massive outcry, with Americans across the country urging their representatives to combat the practice.</p><p>One of the more creative methods of activism lies in a font which uses absurdly drawn districts to represent letters. The sad part is, it's pretty legible.</p><p>Here's an example below:</p><p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjA0NDcyNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODc4NTQ4NX0.FykxD4b1ZkjZKTo8YGQM1KO1li9oumGgLRjIi2VaM0s/img.png?width=980" id="d28cd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d5015248648527e18af70f17b63cc373" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p><p>The font is called "Gerry" (short for gerrymandering) and its anonymous creator(s) are using it to get the word out to Americans about corrupt districting.</p><p><div data-conversation-spotlight=""></div></p><p></p><div id="aa642" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4RNE491574873075"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1153661354462588929" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">It's here. GERRY. A font created by your congressional districts. Log on to https://t.co/WkuVp7oDpu and use the fon… https://t.co/RYWrmEvgwl</div> — Gerry (@Gerry)<a href="https://twitter.com/UglyGerry/statuses/1153661354462588929">1563889275.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>It's even calling out representatives in tweets of individual districts.</p><p></p><div id="1e21a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="DN6RGA1574873076"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1153659467403341825" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Hey, @JasonSmithMO. Thanks to #MO08, we have a 'D' for our gerrymandering font. Couldn't have done it without you!… https://t.co/41wUtiRgCU</div> — Gerry (@Gerry)<a href="https://twitter.com/UglyGerry/statuses/1153659467403341825">1563888825.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="5a499" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0JBD5Q1574873076"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1153658989944741888" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Shoutout to @RepSamGraves & #MO06 for their contribution to this hideous 'E' to our gerrymandering font. Thanks!! https://t.co/AmCt5Jxu16</div> — Gerry (@Gerry)<a href="https://twitter.com/UglyGerry/statuses/1153658989944741888">1563888711.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="a6f51" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="GJ3LCK1574873076"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1153657723441111040" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Just wanted to say thanks to @RepMarkWalker & #NC06 for making the warped 'H' in our gerrymandering font.… https://t.co/CdJqCMKEui</div> — Gerry (@Gerry)<a href="https://twitter.com/UglyGerry/statuses/1153657723441111040">1563888409.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>The font—and its inventive purpose—has people talking.</p><p></p><div id="8d446" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="W58GQ01574873076"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1157006312871354368" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">At least something cool has come from #Gerrymandering. #UglyGerry https://t.co/jRkFWwsNKz</div> — Copy & Design (@Copy & Design)<a href="https://twitter.com/copyanddesign/statuses/1157006312871354368">1564686775.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="90075" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="OVMDE41574873076"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1156944866724761601" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">As a social studies dept chair, I now have made the executive decision that all departmental communications shall u… https://t.co/wyxY2vYYcH</div> — Jennifer LankauChase (@Jennifer LankauChase)<a href="https://twitter.com/jalankau/statuses/1156944866724761601">1564672125.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="6851b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="LIKLWG1574873076"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1156994617843310594" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Everyone trying to end gerrymandering please write to your legislators in this font 😂
https://t.co/ehrZXa9U08</div> — Katie Fahey 👍✌ (@Katie Fahey 👍✌)<a href="https://twitter.com/KTeaFahey/statuses/1156994617843310594">1564683987.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>More than talking, it has people speaking out.</p><p></p><p></p><div id="4e9cf" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="CHWGOH1574873077"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1156956191270088705" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@DarthJeff90 @SarahBurris Gerrymandering is undemocratic and should be unconstitutional.</div> — ml8_ml8 (@ml8_ml8)<a href="https://twitter.com/ml8_ml8/statuses/1156956191270088705">1564674825.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p></p><div id="ae442" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="Z6IHS91574873077"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1156944256222793728" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@UglyGerry An alternate suggestion for Z—a single district! This was #LA04 for a brief while in the 1990s, represen… https://t.co/oG1p911O56</div> — David Nir (@David Nir)<a href="https://twitter.com/DavidNir/statuses/1156944256222793728">1564671980.0</a></blockquote></div><p></p><p>You can download the font for free at <a href="https://uglygerry.com/">uglygerry.com</a>.</p>
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