Re: Nuclear Waste, Science, & Politics

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@ICX.NET>]

Fritz wrote:

> I enthusiastically

> support the notion of a somewhat indirect democracy based on using the over last

> year's end much maligned Electoral College 



In 1981, the Supreme Court heard Baker vs. Carr and ruled that Tennessee

must redistrict the state's voting districts.  For decades, although the

state's population grew and population centers shifted (primarily to

urban areas), the legislative districts remained the same, giving rural

voters considerably more weight than urban voters.  The Supreme Court

ruled that redistricting must be accomplished such that each voter had

similar degree of influence.  In addition, our state legislators are

elected by a majority of votes they receive in their districts--not by

how many precincts they win.



The Electoral College provides a system for national presidential

elections similar to what the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional on

the state level.  Effectively, an individual voter in New York City has

less voice than one in Wyoming.  Our current president received fewer

votes than the loser, yet won the election.  This is the will of the

people?  Looks like "tyranny of the minority" to me.



Those who love to quote our founding fathers (visionary as they were),

seem to have lost sight of their actual intent: that only educated white

male land owners should have a voice in the country's government. 

Thankfully, this paradigm has shifted substantially over the past

century--isn't it about time we finished reforming the system?



Not much nuclear waste or science in that diatribe, and certainly my

personal opinion only.



Susan Gawarecki

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