Quote Originally Posted by js207 View Post
I very much doubt that - and don't think it's a sufficient reason to oppose democracy, either. Do you really think a majority of the population would vote against racial equality?
I didn't say I opposed democracy, only a direct democracy, with every citizen voting on every aspect of law. To be frank, most people, no matter how well educated, do not really understand law. Most think that it only applies to other people, not to them, and that what's good for them must be good for everyone. At least in a democratic republic, which is what the US is supposed to be, the people elect those who are, theoretically, well versed in law and rely on them to do what is right. Sadly, though, that ideal has been corrupted by mass media, among other things. We no longer elect the most qualified, but more often the most photogenic, or the most outspoken. And yes, sad to say that, given the situation as it was in the 50's and 60's, most Americans would probably have voted against the Civil Rights Act. After all, it didn't affect them, only those OTHERS!

Yes, maybe right now gay marriage would get voted down by the public in a lot of places; I'm not convinced bypassing that either by judicial fiat or political subterfuge is morally or strategically right.
How is preventing people from limiting or eliminating the rights of a whole group of people morally right? How is giving equal rights to gays any different than giving equal rights to blacks, or to Muslims, or to Catholics, or to anyone else you choose to name? Remember, the majority is not always right.

If you can't convince the electorate your agenda is right, how can you say it is?
So if I can't convince a group of frightened people that it's not right to condemn someone just because they are Muslims, that makes it okay to shoot them on sight?

of course, almost by definition the electorate is less prone to corruption than politicians.
Only because there is less opportunity for it. How many would gladly change their vote for the price of a new television, or a mortgage payment?

The average newspaper in the US, as I remember, is written on a sixth grade level (about the comprehension of the average 10 or 11 year old) so that the average reader can understand them. Would you want to entrust the laws of your country to the whims of a group of 11 year olds?