Let’s keep dreams alive for all

It has taken over 230 years, but Americans are finally becoming free to dream.

When I was a child, I often dreamed of being a fireman, policeman or Army soldier. I would dream I was a king (sometimes I still do), a priest or the president of the United States.

These were my dreams; however, they were limited by society.

I never dreamed of being a flight attendant, a nurse or even a switchboard operator as these were jobs society assigned to women. If a woman dreamed of being an Army soldier or police officer, they were likely dreaming the impossible dream.

The dreams of African-Americans and Hispanics were not only limited by gender but also by race. They could dream of being an Army soldier or policeman, but not a general or police commissioner. They could dream of being a football player, but not a quarterback or coach. They could dream of being a community leader, but not the president of the United States.

How things have changed!

Last week, the Terrebonne Parish Council swore in its first African-American, female chairperson, and yesterday, America swore in its first African-American president. The Hispanic percentage in Congress is growing, and New Orleans’ 2nd Congressional District elected its first Vietnamese-American congressman.

Dreams are becoming limitless for a growing number of Americans, but there is still work to be done. I dream of a day when minority set-aside districts become a thing of the past – when members of Congress represent areas of geographic synergy rather than minority influence. Minority districts so heavily favor the target group it sometimes kills the dream of the unintended few, and meandering district lines create representation issues for those elected.

The percentage of United States’ population that claims to be black or African-American is just 13 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, yet that did not end the dreams of Barack Obama.

But, creating voting districts whose only commonality is race kills the dreams of the disenfranchised.

If the entire Tri-parish area makes up one voting district, the voters will elect the best person to represent the Tri-parish area. If a district is created around a single ethnic group, the voters will choose the best person to represent that ethnic group.

The time has come to put our trust in the voters to end discrimination. We should end set-aside districts … and keep dreams alive for all.