cdshaw@watmath.UUCP (Chris Shaw) (10/18/84)
It seems to me that the main reason that Mulroney (and politicians generally) don't like referenda is a potential pendulum effect. In Britain in the '50s, Capital Punishment was banned after a sensational murder case in which the accused was convictd & hanged then later found to be innocent. Donald Marshall escaped that fate in Nova Scotia because there was no capital punishment at the time. If there was a referendum on CP next week, it might just pass, considering the wave of police deaths recently. However, next year may witness another Donald Marshall whitewash trial, resulting in the hanging of the accused. Subsequent investigation revealing the accused's innocence would surely lead to outcry, and (you guessed it) calls for a ban on capital punishment. Needless to say, talk of referendums will again be popular. The upshot of all this is public opinion circus which I'm sure we'd all like to avoid... The problem with referendums is that you can't seem to have just one, especially on issues on which public opinion can vary to a large degree. The function of government is to isolate the laws from the people to the extent that popular sentiment has no effect worth speaking of on the laws of the country. It is government's *responsibility* to make sure that an 'excited mob' doesn't make a decision in the heat of the moment that may be regretted later. Besides, what's the government for if we're just going to submit to mob decree via referendum??? The referendum question, then, seems to be one mainly of power (who's running this country, anyway, the government or the mob?) ... and of constancy (make up your mind, already, should we hang him or not ?!?!?) Chris @watmath (Sorry for any speeling errors, my terminal sucks !!!!)