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Democracy

#21 User is offline   kenberg 

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Posted 2008-February-02, 08:04

finally17, on Feb 2 2008, 07:27 AM, said:

grrigg, on Feb 2 2008, 12:58 AM, said:

This goes completely against the spirit of the Constitution lol. If something is desired unanimously, the Constitution is amended. Nothing is set in stone.

No. It perhaps goes against the letter of the Constitution, but it certainly doesn't go against the spirit. That is the very essence of the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights: that there are truths that shall not be violated.

This is very much my view.

Of course it is true that if sufficiently many people agree to behave badly then they can rescind the Bill of Rights. For that matter, if enough people agree they can overthrow the government. But until that happens, the Bill of Rights is of fundamental importance in telling the government that in some areas of life they must butt out. This is a very good thing.

I'm not so fond of this keep and bear arms stuff, but I'll keep my hands off that amendment as long as everyone else agrees to keep their mitts off the rest of them.
Ken
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#22 User is offline   Winstonm 

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Posted 2008-February-02, 08:39

For my 2 bits, the best form of democracy is an inefficient republic.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Black Lives Matter. / "I need ammunition, not a ride." Zelensky
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#23 User is offline   PassedOut 

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Posted 2008-February-02, 09:46

kenberg, on Feb 2 2008, 09:04 AM, said:

Of course it is true that if sufficiently many people agree to behave badly then they can rescind the Bill of Rights. For that matter, if enough people agree they can overthrow the government. But until that happens, the Bill of Rights is of fundamental importance in telling the government that in some areas of life they must butt out. This is a very good thing.

I agree completely.

While the US Constitution can be amended, the process for doing so is cumbersome and time-consuming. That fact reduces the chance that changes will be made emotionally, without sober consideration.

And, while the constitution can also be ignored and subverted by politicians, the fact that it is written and available means that citizens can (and sometimes do) raise holy hell when they find out about it.

Not perfect, I understand, but a powerful attempt to steer things right.
The growth of wisdom may be gauged exactly by the diminution of ill temper. — Friedrich Nietzsche
The infliction of cruelty with a good conscience is a delight to moralists — that is why they invented hell. — Bertrand Russell
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