The General Assembly split up Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward by putting each of them in a different district in the House of Delegates, which doesn't seem at first glance like much of a favor.

Buckingham is in the 59th District.

Cumberland's in the 61st.

And Prince Edward finds itself in the 60th.

Previously, Buckingham and Cumberland had been in the 59th, as had a portion of Prince Edward, with most of Prince Edward in the 60th. And redistricting might just as easily joined us all together in the same House of Delegates district.

But don't hit the self-destruct button because the redistricting triggered by the 2010 Census is also an opportunity for a creative and effective response. We can serve ham from that swine, with lemonade from the redistricting lemon to wash it down.

Where the new 22nd Senate District, with all of us together, unites our community's voice, the House seemingly splits it apart.

That is one way to react.

But not the best way.

Look at it like this:

Not one-third the voice.

But three times the voice.

When there is something we believe is vital to our community of interest we now have three members of the House of Delegates to whom we can take our cause. Three voices and three votes in Richmond.

Three of a kind beat any pair, even aces.

Of course, Watkins M. Abbitt, Jr. in the 59th, James Edmunds in the 60th and Tommy Wright in the 61st will listen to us and lobby on our behalf. But we must work together, in concert, for our mutual benefit.

Doing so is very much in our collective interests.

Let's hit the self-construct button, instead.

-JKW-