[Vision2020] "Do Not Call" bill passes

[Dale Courtney]

I wrote:
>"Recall that we are a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy.
>In fact, one of the things that scared our Founding Fathers to death
>was a pure democracy."

To which Sunil responds:
>Dale, I agree with the second sentence above.  However, with regard
> to the first sentence,  being a Constitutional Republic doesn't mean
> we are not a democracy.  Why do you consider the two mutually
> exclusive?

A democracy is a form of government in which the citizens exercise direct
government: one person one vote, with majority rule.

In Federalist #10, James Madison wrote:

"From this view of the subject, it may be concluded, that a pure Democracy,
by which I mean a Society consisting of a small number of citizens, who
assemble and administer the Government in person, can admit of no cure for
the mischiefs of faction. A common passion or interest will, in almost every
case, be felt by a majority of the whole; a communication and concert
results from the form of Government itself; and there is nothing to check
the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party, or an obnoxious individual.
Hence it is, that such Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence
and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or
the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives, as
they have been violent in their deaths."

We are a Constitutional Republic -- a rule by law and not by man -- 
establishing the first ten amendments to the Constitution (the Bill of
Rights) to protect the minority.

The Founding Fathers also established representative governance -- people
are elected to represent us in the assembly and to make laws.These
representatives are bound to uphold the constitution of their State and the
United States by their Oath of Affirmation.

The fact that we are not a democracy can be seen in the fact that Bush is
President and Gore is not -- since Gore won by a simple majority vote.

But you are a lawyer. Surely you know these things...

Best,
Dale