Comments on: and deliver us from palin http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/2008/10/26/and-deliver-us-from-palin/ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:43:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: mikhailovich http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/2008/10/26/and-deliver-us-from-palin/comment-page-1/#comment-296 mikhailovich Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:43:24 +0000 http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/?p=312#comment-296 Basic issues of equality should never be subjected to ballot initiatives or mob opinion. Civil liberties are too precious for that. Basic issues of equality should never be subjected to ballot initiatives or mob opinion. Civil liberties are too precious for that.

]]> By: Brandon http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/2008/10/26/and-deliver-us-from-palin/comment-page-1/#comment-295 Brandon Tue, 28 Oct 2008 02:46:01 +0000 http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/?p=312#comment-295 Ballot initiatives are basically mob rule. You can point to ones that are good, but on the whole they’re just a way for the majority to bully others around. In a representative democracy and divided government policy changes have to be hard. Politicians need to openly argue their position and then put it to a vote. It’s the same thing with ear marks. At the same time, these sanctity-of-marriage initiatives will likely result in a supreme court challenge which should be upheld because they’re so obviously unconstitutional. Ballot initiatives are basically mob rule. You can point to ones that are good, but on the whole they’re just a way for the majority to bully others around. In a representative democracy and divided government policy changes have to be hard. Politicians need to openly argue their position and then put it to a vote. It’s the same thing with ear marks.

At the same time, these sanctity-of-marriage initiatives will likely result in a supreme court challenge which should be upheld because they’re so obviously unconstitutional.

]]> By: BillK http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/2008/10/26/and-deliver-us-from-palin/comment-page-1/#comment-293 BillK Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:13:04 +0000 http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/?p=312#comment-293 BTW, Mik, I liked your little "Focus on the Patriarchy" thing. That was smooth. BTW, Mik, I liked your little “Focus on the Patriarchy” thing. That was smooth.

]]> By: BillK http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/2008/10/26/and-deliver-us-from-palin/comment-page-1/#comment-292 BillK Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:08:43 +0000 http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/?p=312#comment-292 While it may be true that there have been good ballot initiatives in the past (and perhaps even some lately), that is now no longer the norm. The ballot initiative has become the weapon of choice of many religious assholes seeking to impose their oppressive agenda on this country. The fact that their justification for this oppression is merely one minority interpretation based on their absurd delusions is even worse. I find it so ironic (albeit frighteningly so) that they try to wrap themselves in the mantle of patriotism when in fact they oppose everything that this country has traditionally stood for since its founding. Personally, I think this makes garbage like The Dingbat unfit for public office. While it may be true that there have been good ballot initiatives in the past (and perhaps even some lately), that is now no longer the norm. The ballot initiative has become the weapon of choice of many religious assholes seeking to impose their oppressive agenda on this country. The fact that their justification for this oppression is merely one minority interpretation based on their absurd delusions is even worse. I find it so ironic (albeit frighteningly so) that they try to wrap themselves in the mantle of patriotism when in fact they oppose everything that this country has traditionally stood for since its founding. Personally, I think this makes garbage like The Dingbat unfit for public office.

]]> By: Evan Ravitz http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/2008/10/26/and-deliver-us-from-palin/comment-page-1/#comment-291 Evan Ravitz Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:56:10 +0000 http://www.steelcityskeptics.net/?p=312#comment-291 Get a grip on reality! Sure, some try to misuse ballot initiatives, but rarely do they pass -unlike "representatives" who've given us perpetual war and debt, torture, warrantless spying, Nafta, the bailout, ad nauseum. Ballot initiatives are the origin of most reforms, such as women's suffrage (passed in 13 states before Congress went along), direct election of Senators (4 states), publicly financed elections (passed by initiative in 6 of 7 states with them), medical marijuana ( in 8 of 12 states) and increasing minimum wages (in all 6 states that tried in 2006). See http://Vote.org/initiatives for more examples and references. The media have seized on the problem initiatives. They generally kiss up to politicians. Get a grip on reality! Sure, some try to misuse ballot initiatives, but rarely do they pass -unlike “representatives” who’ve given us perpetual war and debt, torture, warrantless spying, Nafta, the bailout, ad nauseum.

Ballot initiatives are the origin of most reforms, such as women’s suffrage (passed in 13 states before Congress went along), direct election of Senators (4 states), publicly financed elections (passed by initiative in 6 of 7 states with them), medical marijuana ( in 8 of 12 states) and increasing minimum wages (in all 6 states that tried in 2006). See http://Vote.org/initiatives for more examples and references. The media have seized on the problem initiatives. They generally kiss up to politicians.

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