50%, plus one.
This is a terrifying way to run things. How many evil things have been justified in the name of "majority rule"? How many times has the majority been shown to be either A: a highly vocal minority, or B: just plain wrong? Hard telling.
I find it almost comical that we're still having this argument. Its tellingly ironic that those people who claim to be the great protectors of personal liberties (yeah, I mean the barking dogs of the right) are the loudest and most aggrieved opponents of same-sex marriage. As with smoking, I'm not a participant, but I don't see the bloody problem. ...as always however, let me start with basic principles.
...you know what. Fuck it.
Normally I'd do a detailed and scathing assault on the likes of Hannity, Beck and the rest of the trogs, but I'm not up to it tonight.
Let me just strip this whole thing to the bones: There is a large segment of society, maybe or maybe not an actual majority, which is determined to stop another segment from enjoying the same civil liberties as themselves. Why? It doesn't matter why, its fucking wrong.
I cannot grasp this. What sort of bizarro world are we living in where I have to defend the freedoms of my fellow human beings in the United States of America? Last time I checked, personal freedom was supposed to be assumed, not subject to authentification.
About Me
- Kwisatz Philosopher
- A philosopher and amateur scientist, I have great interest in almost every field of study and avenue of research. Born of counter-culture veterans, nurtured on Star Trek and Jim Henson. I cut my teeth on Heinlein and took my first lessons in the shadow of the Cold War. My first tutors were Professor James Burke and Bill Cosby. I see the brilliant future where the only thing brighter than the stars we walk amongst are the discoveries that take us to them.
Agreed, agreed, agreed. At several points in history it was OK to abuse and/or kill people based on their skin color or religion.. it was agreed with by the majority.. because people were scared of anything different than their own beliefs, customs, and cultures. In America a minority group can be suppressed simply because the majority says it's wrong.. which could be (in some cases) religious persecution.. and we allow this to continue even though certain people are losing their basic human rights.
ReplyDeleteI have this argument with my mother so much.. the same woman who once said "just because all of your friends are jumping off the bridge, are you going to as well?"
The majority of the population hates education and can't think for themselves.. should we vote education out of our lives? Should we vote no on thinking? Is that OK simply because the majority says so?
We should go back to "what we want isn't always what we need."
At some point we have to fight.. we have to see that just because it's popular doesn't mean it's right (which should be obvious).
Tyranny by the majority is still tyranny.
Oh and I had to bring up this hypocrisy as well..
ReplyDeleteI was appalled at the people who voted yes on Prop 8..
..mainly consisted of Mormons and African Americans. (See bottom of this.. wow.. it's the middle class and uneducated straight people saying yes on prop 8.. -rofl-).
These people are the very same people who had to fight for their OWN civil rights and yet they oppress others?
I think that is the most maddening part of it all.
Theology is the trump card.
ReplyDeleteI passed your blog URL around and got one person's attention so far..
ReplyDeletehttp://nowingpolitics.wordpress.com
His name is Joe, he and his girl live in Boone, NC, and I think you two may have fun with things. =)
The line between freedom and rules is constantly being redrawn, and I suspect the "majority" holds the pencil. However the transient nature of the "majority" means that the line will never remain where it is, and the new "minority" will perpetually be disgruntled.
ReplyDelete