Republican Will Reluctantly Vote to Bring Back Slavery If that is What the Public Wants.
Nev. Assemblyman Jim Wheeler responds to firestorm over slavery commentA Nevada assemblyman has faced tough scrutiny after he said in a YouTube video posted this week that he would vote in favor of slavery if it was in line with his constituents’ wishes
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"If my constituents wanted to do something as outlandish as bring back an abhorrent system, then I simply couldn’t represent them anymore."
1. SO WHICH IS IT?
2. out of all the outlandish examples you've used [e.g. going against his crazy-ass party and supporting universal healthcare/women's rights/human decency, etc], you chose THAT??
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I can respect a Congressman who will go against his own beliefs or self-interest in order to fairly represent his constituents...in some cases. Slavery: not one of those cases!
Even if 90% of your constituents want to bring slavery back, the correct answer is "No, sorry, we tried that and it was an atrocity. We shan't be doing it again. I think we need to have a loooooooong talk about history and human rights." Not "Welp, constituents made me do it!"
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But even if you philosophically prefer the former option -- that it's your duty to directly represent the majority opinion of your constituency -- there should surely be some lines you as a person won't cross! Slavery is one of those big, bold moral lines. If your constituency really wants that, WHY ARE YOU REPRESENTING THEM?
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And for that matter, why do you even WANT to represent them? Because, seriously.
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Quite a problem in majoritarian versions of democracy. Either one represents the majority view, as offensive as it may be, or one draws a line as says "Actually, there are some things which are beyond the vagaries of majority opinion. They're called rights."
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