rae@alias.UUCP (Reid Ellis) (04/28/89)
In article <400@hcr.UUCP> larry@zeus.UUCP (Larry Philps) writes: >[perhaps] the government should be passing, and thus enforcing, laws that >reflect the desires of the majority of the population. jdd@db.toronto.edu ("John D. DiMarco") writes: |Egad! This is pretty scary! As a general principle, this could be disastrous. Yes, it has been. |Imagine if the majority of the population should decide that killing some |minority group is ok.... Imagine if the majority of the population decided to send a minority to jail! oops, that happened, didn't it? |As for highway regulations: as I understand it, these laws are intended to |reduce highway accidents. They used to be. But then they were lowered for fuel-consumption reasons. With lower oil prices and cars with higher fuel-efficiency, certain states down south have decided to raise them back to where they were, almost. [Weren't the limits 70MPH at one point?] |If the majority of the population should decide they don't like these laws, |should they be changed? *These* laws, yes. *Perhaps* any law, but I'd have to think about that one for a while. |Would it be right to abolish speed limits if their abolition led to a much |more dangerous highway environment? It would be within the rights of a majority rule government, if that's what you mean by 'right'. But as to whether or not it would cause more accidents, or more deaths, it is difficult to know. Note that accidents and deaths are separate -- the higher the speed of the accident, the higher the probability of death; however, the probability of an accident occurring at all might or might not be altered by the speed of the vehicle. |Even if the majority of the population wanted their abolition? This assumes I asnwered 'No' to the above. Note: Canada is not run by majority rule. As a matter of fact, I don't know of a country on this planet that is. The closest you get is representatives like MP's, Senators, Alderperson.. Reid --- Reid Ellis rae@alias.uucp, rae@geac.uucp, rae@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca, rae@ziebmef.uucp I'm what you call 'well connected'..