hrubin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Herman Rubin) wrote:
>In article <4st034pjcnhtpdpvttpsjd7t4git670loe@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
>Bob LeChevalier <lojbab@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>hrubin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Herman Rubin) wrote:
>>>>>Not really. They still have representation. They can still call
>>>>>their congressman and ask for help.
>
>>>>He wouldn't be THEIR Congressman. With no vote, he is not answerable
>>>>to them and hence has no obligation to represent them.
>
>>>Then those who vote against their current Congressman have no
>>>representation.
>
>>That does not follow.
>
>It does follow. For someone to represent you, he has
>to agree with you, at least on key issues.
Not in our system of governance.
>>They did have the right to vote. They may have lost, but they had the
>>chance to exercise their right. And they have the chance to vote
>>against the turkey at reelection time, if he does not represent him
>>acceptably.
>
>You seem unable to distinguish between the right to
>vote and representation.
I merely am recognizing the historical meaning of the word. "No
taxation without representation" meant that the colonists did not have
the right to elect a representative to Parliament, where taxation laws
were decided. The same argument is made today by those arguing for
representation rights for the citizens of the District of Columbia.
>I have been in a position as a representative of the
>Statistic Department in which I did not agree with
>the position of the department. As a representative,
>I felt I had to present the department's position as
>forcefully as I could.
That is one moral stance that a representative could take. Others
take the stance that they are elected based on their own views and
thus are not compelled to represent views different from their own.
And there are other philosophies of representation. The voters can
take these philosophies into account when casting their ballots for a
representative. Those not allowed to vote of course cannot, and hence
cannot be represented.
lojbab
Bob LeChevalier - artificial linguist; genealogist
lojbab@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lojban language www.lojban.org
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