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Jul. 11th, 2003 07:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sophiaserpentiaAnd now, a political note from me, for the first time in a while.
In the United States, the authority of government to rule is granted by the people. The people therefore, for better or worse, have to have unfettered direct access to modify the governing constitutions where they live -- this authority should not be given solely to elected or appointed officials.
Two state supreme court rules have made this more difficult in the past week.
First is one mentioned by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alobar from Alaska's supreme court, which I have mixed feelings about; I agree with the result but not the reasoning.
The second is one from Nevada's supreme court yesterday that essentially invalidates a constitutional requirement imposed by the voters of Nevada.
Now, I am aware that the majority doesn't always know what is best for itself. But the only alternative is appointing an elite to write the constitution -- or allowing a self-appointed elite to write it. Just because the "Founders" were unusually enlightened doesn't mean the next group of self-appointed elites will be.
In the United States, the authority of government to rule is granted by the people. The people therefore, for better or worse, have to have unfettered direct access to modify the governing constitutions where they live -- this authority should not be given solely to elected or appointed officials.
Two state supreme court rules have made this more difficult in the past week.
First is one mentioned by
alobar from Alaska's supreme court, which I have mixed feelings about; I agree with the result but not the reasoning.The second is one from Nevada's supreme court yesterday that essentially invalidates a constitutional requirement imposed by the voters of Nevada.
Now, I am aware that the majority doesn't always know what is best for itself. But the only alternative is appointing an elite to write the constitution -- or allowing a self-appointed elite to write it. Just because the "Founders" were unusually enlightened doesn't mean the next group of self-appointed elites will be.
