By TIM KILLEEN
A couple days ago, I came across this piece in the Christian Science Monitor discussing the likely dramatic drop in marijuana prices California's Prop. 19 would cause if it were to pass. The lowering of prices, the piece claimed, could cause marijuana usage to increase by up to 150%. This likelihood is starting to frighten voters, as is evident in the dipping poll numbers the proposition is receiving of late.
The national attention Prop. 19 is currently receiving, which will rise as the election draws nearer, is similar to that which was (and still is) given to 2008's Prop. 8 which allowed voters to decide whether or not to allow gay marriage. California is somewhat unique in its use of ballot initiatives, in that the state requires direct votes from its citizens on major issues much more than any other. Champions of the ballot initiative claim that it allows for the true voice of the People to be heard, but is such voting an instance of too much democracy?
When the Framers of the US Constitution set out to create a new government, they certainly had much to consider. What their document reflects is deference to the People and a check by the wisdom of the most able citizens. Instead of creating an Absolute Democracy, the Founders created a Republic- giving the People the opportunity to have their voice heard through elections of representatives and entrusting in those representatives the work of legislating. To enhance the People's voice, the First Amendment made it unconstitutional for Congress to pass any legislation that hindered the People's right to discuss and debate important issues.
Say what you will about the sort of people we have in political office, one thing that seems (generally) true is that they understand legislating and the issues on which they work. We elect these individuals, hopefully, as the brightest among us to consider the will- and the good- of the People and to make laws on our behalf. The astuteness of these representatives is meant to guard against their easily being swayed on important decisions. As seen in the Prop. 8 debate, however, when a decision is left up to the citizens as a whole, interested parties muddle the debate with half-truths and out-and-out lies. Simply put, the People are more easily duped than the Legislators.
The will of the People is a great thing, but we've seen, time and again, that groupthink is not always the most intelligent of thought and can be prone to shifts of fancy and mood. A Representative Democracy was chosen by wise men as the best form of government and it's done pretty well so far. Perhaps Californians should consider putting more faith in the people the elect to represent them and allow them to do their jobs as lawmakers.
A couple days ago, I came across this piece in the Christian Science Monitor discussing the likely dramatic drop in marijuana prices California's Prop. 19 would cause if it were to pass. The lowering of prices, the piece claimed, could cause marijuana usage to increase by up to 150%. This likelihood is starting to frighten voters, as is evident in the dipping poll numbers the proposition is receiving of late.
The national attention Prop. 19 is currently receiving, which will rise as the election draws nearer, is similar to that which was (and still is) given to 2008's Prop. 8 which allowed voters to decide whether or not to allow gay marriage. California is somewhat unique in its use of ballot initiatives, in that the state requires direct votes from its citizens on major issues much more than any other. Champions of the ballot initiative claim that it allows for the true voice of the People to be heard, but is such voting an instance of too much democracy?
When the Framers of the US Constitution set out to create a new government, they certainly had much to consider. What their document reflects is deference to the People and a check by the wisdom of the most able citizens. Instead of creating an Absolute Democracy, the Founders created a Republic- giving the People the opportunity to have their voice heard through elections of representatives and entrusting in those representatives the work of legislating. To enhance the People's voice, the First Amendment made it unconstitutional for Congress to pass any legislation that hindered the People's right to discuss and debate important issues.
Say what you will about the sort of people we have in political office, one thing that seems (generally) true is that they understand legislating and the issues on which they work. We elect these individuals, hopefully, as the brightest among us to consider the will- and the good- of the People and to make laws on our behalf. The astuteness of these representatives is meant to guard against their easily being swayed on important decisions. As seen in the Prop. 8 debate, however, when a decision is left up to the citizens as a whole, interested parties muddle the debate with half-truths and out-and-out lies. Simply put, the People are more easily duped than the Legislators.
The will of the People is a great thing, but we've seen, time and again, that groupthink is not always the most intelligent of thought and can be prone to shifts of fancy and mood. A Representative Democracy was chosen by wise men as the best form of government and it's done pretty well so far. Perhaps Californians should consider putting more faith in the people the elect to represent them and allow them to do their jobs as lawmakers.
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