Word: majoritarians
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...know of no one who has anything but contempt for South Africa's apartheid regime. But freedom to express one's ideas would be ephemeral if it applied only to popular, majoritarian views...
Some Americans think that the Reagan Administration wishes to subvert civil liberties in the cause of a majoritarian orthodoxy, that Reaganism tilts too much toward democracy and away from freedoms. Democracy and freedom, fraternal twins and sibling rivals, do not always get along well with each other. The genius of the Founding Fathers was in their construction of a legal and political system that protected minorities from the possibility of a tyranny of the majority. Says Ira Glasser, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union: "They recognized for the first time ever--and pretty much for the last time...
...admit that a student government would not be perfect in a simple majoritarian scheme is to admit to the failures of Harvard's grandiose scheme of the microcosm of Harvard in the Houses. I doubt that Harvard is inherently racist or sexist, though some students disagree, but I am certain that the homogeneous nature of many of the Houses, and perhaps Harvard as a whole, insulates most students--and the Faculty and administration--from the diversity and open-mindedness which the University so articulately continues to profess...
Without ever offering any reasons why, the Society flatly states. "the illegitimacy of GSA's claim is obvious." Historically, Gay people have been systematically denied participation in, and protection from, majoritarian politics. Furthermore, they have identifiable interests: safety. academic freedom, employment and housing security and ending the mindless bigotry that has for so long denied them basic civil liberties. The "illegitimacy" of our desire for a voice in the new student government is not clear to me, nor to the Constitution Committee which made the recommendation...
...treat this service activity as apolitical on the ground that it follows indigenous values. The officials with whom HIID deals in countries like Haiti and Indonesia are not in a position to speak for the desires of their people. Even if they were, the decision to support the majoritarian choice would be no less political. It is not much of a consolation to think that HIID's practical effects may be close to nil; it still stands its local ideological allies in good stead...