Jesus Wept

[rolanni]

YES ON ONE claims a victory for the "little guy," according to Marc Mutty, public affairs director for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.

The rest of the story here. (That's here: http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/128048.html)

Comments

[keristor.livejournal.com]

What is even more depressing is the attitude in the replies -- "Don't like it? Leave Maine!" I wonder what their feelings would have been if the other side had 51% and told the 'yes' folk to "like it or get out", I bet they would have been moaning about "only 50% turnout" and "all the non-voters support us" and "we'll keep trying until we win" (seen it often enough as "the lurkers support me in email").

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

"Don't like it? Leave Maine!"

Oh, that's just the usual Bully-Without-Two-Brain-Cells response to anybody who has an opinion they don't agree with. I was several time invited to "leave America" for daring to have the Clearly Wrongheaded opinion that George W. Bush was a dangerous lunatic.

...and some of those folks might have left the state, had things gone elsewise. There was a powerful lot of fear working in this campaign.

What makes my head spin around is how all the folks who voted NO (clearly more than six of us) are now "bigots." Let's see... I voted to extend equality to minority (which, BTW, I shouldn't even have to vote on; it's a concept already covered in Maine law); the other side voted to violate the civil rights of that minority. Granting that nobody likes to be called a "bigot," I'm having a hard time seeing the NO folks wearing that particular hat.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Indeed, I'm pretty sure I can see who are the 'bigots' in this and it isn't those in the 'no' camp.

But this reinforces my belief that 'democracy', when it means "the majority get their way" (or even more "the vocal majority get their way") is nothing more than "mob rule". Or as someone else said, "democracy is three wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch"...

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

You're British, yes? So you may not have met the "Love it or leave it!" slogan thrown at Vietnam war protesters. We've been there, done that, got blood on the tee-shirt.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Not about Vietnam, no, we weren't involved in that one, but I've seen it plenty of times since. When it is being applied to a country it's just silly, because it is obvious to anyone that most people can't leave since they have no right-of-abode anywhere else in the world, but when it is used for a subdivision of a country it seems to be that it has more force because it is theoretically possible for the people to move elsewhere in the country. "Get out of Maine" could be backed up with action in a way that "get out of America" couldn't (except by a "final solution").

(And yes, I am British and live in Britain.)