Comments on: Goodbye Mr. Smith http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/04/14/goodbye-mr-smith/ Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:04:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Amanda http://www.thetalentshow.org/2005/04/14/goodbye-mr-smith/comment-page-1/#comment-6479 Amanda Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:04:36 +0000 http://www.thetalentshow.org/wp/?p=1708#comment-6479 Problem: They want to get rid of the filibuster in order to dismantle democracy. The end result of stuffing the courts full of wingnut judges is that the judicial branch isn't a check on power anymore. The first goal of this is to start disenfranchising people and stripping away rights. Majority rule is basically worthless without minority protection. Matt surprised me with this--he can be tone-deaf to the needs of non-white, non-straight or non-male people in this country, but I didn't expect that he'd miss the palpable anxiety on this issue. The filibuster is necessary to secure elements of our society that are critical to democracy, even if it is, in and of itself, not really a democratic tool. Problem: They want to get rid of the filibuster in order to dismantle democracy. The end result of stuffing the courts full of wingnut judges is that the judicial branch isn’t a check on power anymore. The first goal of this is to start disenfranchising people and stripping away rights. Majority rule is basically worthless without minority protection.

Matt surprised me with this–he can be tone-deaf to the needs of non-white, non-straight or non-male people in this country, but I didn’t expect that he’d miss the palpable anxiety on this issue. The filibuster is necessary to secure elements of our society that are critical to democracy, even if it is, in and of itself, not really a democratic tool.

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