A Don’s Life by Mary Beard - Times Online - WBLG: What do e-petitioners want? Not the death penalty.
►http://timesonline.typepad.com/dons_life/2011/08/what-do-e-petitioners-want-not-the-death-penalty.html
What do e-petitioners want? Not the death penalty.
If you had listened to the news last night, you would have been under the impression that the government’s new(ish) e-petition scheme was shortly to be landing us with another full scale House of Commons debate on the restoration of the death penalty. It was echoed over the world and in this morning’s papers. There was a mixture of glee on the one side and other other (mine) some shaking of heads about the consequences of government by click.
The point about democracy is not that we take every silly idea seriously , it is that we take every worthy idea seriously — and that those should not be the ideas of the rich or the privileged or the men or the old, but ANYONE’s ideas. That’s what’s democratic about it. Democracy isn’t something done at your lap top after a glass or two late at night (even the Athenians wouldnt have liked that... and even a referendum should demand you making some effort, with the rival positions laid out for consideration).
►http://timesonline.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451586c69e2015390720029970b-320wi
Death penalty could be debated in Commons after e-petition calls
Sir George Young warned that it would damage democracy to ignore strong opinions among members of the public “or pretend that their views do not exist”. He spoke ahead of the publication on Thursday of the first submissions to a new e-petitions scheme which could see the most popular appeals discussed in parliament.
►http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/04/death-penalty-e-petition-commons
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