NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/sci/cognitiv/1031

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-24 | 1.6 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Robin Burke)
Newsgroups: sci.cognitive
Subject: Re: Lesbian/Gay Rights and the Cognitive Science Meeting
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Date: 24 Jan 93 19:15:38 GMT
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>   What sort of logic is this???  If I understand you right, you disagree with the
>   majority vote in a democratic referendum and you propose to punish those
>   voters by trying to hit them in the wallet. Did you ever change your opinions
>   because someone threatened to punch you in the teeth?
>
>   - philip swann

The "will of the people" argument has been used to justify many
injustices; I would be wary of it. Majorities can and frequently do
commit reprehensible actions.  ("Separate but equal" comes to mind.)
Do you really believe that once "the majority has spoken," there is
nothing that anyone can do? A boycott is a common and accepted
practice of showing displeasure in cases like this.

As far as changing a person's opinion, I argee, a boycott may do
little or nothing.  But the issue here is not opinions, but behavior.
Boycotts can, in fact, contribute to changes in behavior. (NB: South
Africa, Arizona, etc.)



--
robin
=:-{)

institute for learned scientists
northwestern university