Straight thoughts 52

December 4, 2000

I always sustained that fundamental human rights are not a matter of opinion, nor even a matter of majority opinion or referendum.

Stockwell Day recently seemed to go against CA policy when he mentioned that certain social issues (e.g.: right to life) may not be decided by a referendum.

Here is another authoritative opinion supporting this position:

"The very purpose of a Bill of Rights was to withdraw certain subjectsfrom the vicissitudes of political controversy, to place them beyond thereach of majorities and officials and to establish them as legalprinciples to be applied by the courts. One's right to life, liberty,and property, to free speech, a free press, freedom of worship andassembly, and other fundamental rights may not be submitted to vote;they depend on the outcome of no elections."-- Justice Robert H. JacksonUnited States Supreme Court Justice - 10/10/2000