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To: cake_crumb
Artificial empowerment of ANY group via legislation is not freedom. It's totalitarianism.

Legislative representation is how our system works. If you're going to be consistent, you'd have to have the same opinion of all PAC's in Washington and in state government ... like Farmers and Big Oil and Small Business Association ... etc.

I do agree that special interst legislation has gotten out of hand. But don't single out feminism for that. Let's look at the big picture. PAC's are a reality in our political system. If we want to overhaul that system, let's get busy and do it. Campaign finance reform anyone?

The reality also is that even without PAC's, numbers matter in politics. Since women are 50% of the population, and since there are 9 million more women registered voters than men ... women have tremendous political clout. Now there is no gaurantee that any group with political clout will use it wisely. That is why we have a two-party system and, in general, the middle outweighs the extremes politically.

If we want to eliminate equal representation in government, one individual one vote, that's a different matter entirely. Until then we have to live with the reality that numbers matter in politics. (We just got a good lesson on that in California). Even without a PAC, when enough people feel the same or similar way about something ... they will hold sway in elections and legislation, particularly in places with more direct referendum style democracy such as California.

Unfortunately, by agreeing to live in the USA, you do have to put up with legislation you don't agree with some of the time. The alternatives are to get out there and make your opinion heard LOUDER ... or move to a different country. Just sitting around whining about what other people have been able to influence politically is not a sound strategy for change. :)

By the way, did you know that women were the decisive factor in the so-called Republican sweep in the 2002 elections? And they are poised to be the deciding force in the 2004 presidential elections as well. And there is ample evidence that women are moving more to the conservative side politically.

Ain't our system great? I love it !!! even though I have to put up with the "tryanny of the majority" sometimes doing things I don't agree with. If you step back and look at the big picture, overall it balances out to the middle ground and we are still the best country in the world. I wouldn't live anywhere else. It's not perfect but it is the best.

Let's not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

The pendulum swings both ways and is weighted toward the middle. I personally don't want extremists on either side getting ultimate control of my life. :)

31 posted on 10/08/2003 1:53:08 PM PDT by Lorianne
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To: Lorianne
"If you're going to be consistent, you'd have to have the same opinion of all PAC's in Washington and in state government ... like Farmers and Big Oil and Small Business Association ... etc."

I do. And unions. Don't forget the unions.

33 posted on 10/08/2003 2:00:03 PM PDT by cake_crumb (UN Resolutions = Very Expensive, Very SCRATCHY Toilet Paper)
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