Fresno Famous

There is more to the Egyptian revolution than the desire for democracy. As the army proclamation yesterday specifically acknowledged, the Egyptian people want a "free democracy." What does this mean?

Many of those who favor majority rule do not realize that there is such a thing as the "tyranny of the majority." When the majority makes rules, some of those rules may infringe upon personal freedoms. Freedom is even more important than democracy. Freedom has to do with "inalienable rights"--those specifically enumerated in the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, and many more that the tenth Amendment states may be recognized in the future (that is, now.)

It is critically important to freedom that any rules made by the democratic majority not prevent the minority from expressing their individual rights.

This is what the current Republican "majority" (actually a trumped-up, arrogant minority) does not recognize: people have rights. Everyone has the right to speak his or her mind. Everyone has the right to an education. Everyone has the right to enter into marriage contracts without limitations as to gender. Everyone has the right to keep and bear arms-- as long as they aren't dangerously insane and don't intend to use those arms to usurp the rights of others. Everyone has the right (that is being infringed by the Repbublican House even as we speak in the District of Columbia) to home rule and representation in the halls of Congress.

Everyone must stand up and speak out against the current Republican attempts to infringe on the rights of our minorities. We must also stand up for "one man, one vote"-- NOT "one dollar, one vote" as exists in our political system now. Please speak out, everyone. And vote, vote, vote.  Be revolting.  Revolution, peaceful revolution, is the answer when an arrogant minority takes over our government.