Subject:
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Re: National vote on handguns?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 23 Jul 2001 13:36:33 GMT
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Viewed:
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682 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Larry Pieniazek writes:
> > I think I disagree, though I'd invite anyone to convince me. I think we
> > should do away with all our laws, start over, and put everything up for
> > straight democratic vote. And each and every law/issue would need 75% in
> > favor in order to pass. I'd bet good money that we'd end up with a
> > preferable system.
>
> I like the part about doing away with all our laws and starting over.
I asked about this before: http://news.lugnet.com/off-topic/debate/?n=11852
but I wanted to clarify your answer. Specifically, would you support
"starting over" with new laws even if those laws ultimately conflicted
(perhaps diametrically) with your own views?
And, in addressing the 75% majority vote, what about an ethnic or
demographic or cultural or religious minority comprising less than 25% of
the voting populace? How, in a straight vote-from-scratch-on-everything
system, do we prevent the 75% majority from making, for instance, Wicca a
capital offense?
> > > Me, I'd love to see a constitutional convention. We've never had one of
> > > those. It would give a chance for wholesale change to the constitution
> > > rather than one amendment at a time change.
Sponsored, no doubt, by Texaco and Philip Morris. While a constitutional
convention might be nice for an end-run around the mechanisms for a balance
of power, it's also a fantastic way to sequester the decision-making process
from any sort of public review, accountability, or influence. We could
easily, in theory, wind up with a unilateral ban on civilian use of
gunpowder weapons, a 95% income tax, and a small body of rulers-for-life.
If you (the general "you") worry about government corruption and the sapping
of civil liberties under the current system, I can't imagine why you (again,
the general "you") would want to give even greater power with even less
accountability to the same guvmint you seem to fear.
Dave!
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: National vote on handguns?
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| (...) I support the process, but reserve the right to bolt if I don't like the outcome... (...) This is my problem with this proposal as well. I think you have to have basic rights that are much harder to revoke than just majority rule. I've said it (...) (23 years ago, 23-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: National vote on handguns?
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| (...) I like the part about doing away with all our laws and starting over. There is a part of _Moon is a Harsh Mistress_ where the professor is lecturing the constitutional convention and he is urging them to think out of the box on government (...) (23 years ago, 23-Jul-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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