We don't care what the voters say.

**Eaglestrike** · 2012-01-12 15:26

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...ion/52359032/1

JACKSON, Miss. – The blistering fight over whether Mississippi law should define life at conception is expected to continue this year by way of the Legislature.

Voters soundly rejected the so-called "personhood amendment" with 58% of the vote in November, but anti-abortion advocates say they have hope in the Capitol.
"We're going to work with the Legislature and reach out to Mississippians," said Personhood Mississippi leader Les Riley of Pontotoc.

Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, who first expressed concern over the initiative but eventually said he voted in favor of it, repeatedly has said he thought the effort would be more successful in the Legislature.

Gov.-elect Phil Bryant, also a Republican and a major supporter of Initiative 26, has said he, also, expects the issue to gain support at the Capitol.
"I would be very surprised if a member of the Legislature didn't introduce some legislation similar to that," he said.
Mississippi lawmakers have approved some of the nation's toughest anti-abortion measures in recent years, including a mandatory waiting period and a requirement that doctors perform ultra sounds. The state has one abortion clinic.

During the most recent election cycle, more than 60 lawmakers - mostly Republicans - signed a pledge to support the effort. Aside from Bryant, other top Republican leaders at the Capitol, including presumed House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, have supported further restrictions on abortions in previous sessions.
Anti-abortion advocates say the personhood amendment would be the ultimate coup in trying to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe vs. Wade decision.
"Our goal is to see full protection given to every person - no matter how small," Riley said. "It's the right thing to do morally and strategically."
But those who oppose the effort say they fear it will have unintended consequences.

Atlee Breland of Jackson fought Initiative 26 as part of the Parents Against 26 campaign. The organization has since shifted to Parents Against Personhood to reflect the potential for it to continue to be an issue among lawmakers.
Breland said she's not surprised the personhood effort continues in Mississippi.
"I think everybody knew long before November, that this would still be an issue," she said.
She said her group has continued its grass-roots campaign against the effort.
"I think it's a shame that they are continuing to push for something that 58 percent of the voters said they didn't want," she said.
Breland had to undergo infertility treatment and she said she worries the amendment would put restrictions on access to such services.
She also worries about access to birth control and treatment for women with life-threatening ectopic pregnancies.
"We have so many members who would have died - their pregnancies would have killed them," she said.

**hey** · 2012-01-12 15:33

We don't care what the voters say

How does this deserve a thread?

**Eaglestrike** · 2012-01-12 15:41

I didn't think a subforum called "Political Poopdeck" had such high standards on thread content.

And I figured that politicians are trying to overturn something the voters directly voted on is pretty douchebaggish.

**Talint** · 2012-01-12 15:56

Generally speaking, the legislatures do not care what voters think. They care about whoever is providing them with the most money.

**Dantrag** · 2012-01-12 15:59

Pretty much.

**Eaglestrike** · 2012-01-12 16:08

Originally Posted by Talint

Generally speaking, the legislatures do not care what voters think. They care about whoever is providing them with the most money.

I consider this truth, this article just proves it to be the case outright, lol.

**pohibaba** · 2012-01-12 16:11

This is a horrible law and I think pretty much every single person on this forum would agree with that.

But I don't think that it's the legislature, or for that matter any politician's, job to care all that much about what voters have to say; it's their job to vote on what they think will help their community the most. So, I don't really have a problem with this.

**Eaglestrike** · 2012-01-12 16:14

Originally Posted by pohibaba

This is a horrible law and I think pretty much every single person on this forum would agree with that.

But I don't think that it's the legislature, or for that matter any politician's, job to care all that much about what voters have to say; it's their job to vote on what they think will help their community the most. So, I don't really have a problem with this.

So, even in this case of the voters themselves voting directly on the issue, you think the politicians know better about how to help the voters?

**solanis** · 2012-01-12 16:16

it depends on whether the people who voted on this issue vote during actual elections. if they don't, and the people who do vote in elections want the amendment, the amendment will happen.

**pohibaba** · 2012-01-12 16:22

Originally Posted by Eaglestrike

So, even in this case of the voters themselves voting directly on the issue, you think the politicians know better about how to help the voters?

The entire basis of our government (a Constitutional Republic) is based upon the idea that we elect the best among us (lol) to make decisions on our behalf; so, yes. I think the entire notion of direct democracy is evil and I give it little to no credence.

And as Solanis was pointing out as well, if they don't like the representation they're receiving then they can do something about that.

**djzombie** · 2012-01-12 16:22

it's their job to vote on what they think will help their community the most. So, I don't really have a problem with this.

Sorry, you're wrong here. The job of an elected official is to represent their constituents. Obviously when 58% of the voters are against this, they are not doing their job.

We really need to stop trying to legislate "morality"

That term has quotes because it is entirely subjective based on your beliefs.

**pohibaba** · 2012-01-12 16:29

Originally Posted by djzombie

Sorry, you're wrong here. The job of an elected official is to represent their constituents. Obviously when 58% of the voters are against this, they are not doing their job.

Sorry, you're wrong here. It's the job of constituents to elect an official who represents their values. Not the other way around. Once in office a politician can't look at poll numbers everytime they're going to make a vote, they have to do it based upon their perception of the logical and rational choice. It's the voters job to make sure they elect someone who's going to agree with them in what that choice will be.

Originally Posted by djzombie

We really need to stop trying to legislate "morality"

That term has quotes because it is entirely subjective based on your beliefs.

Once again, my opinion has nothing to do with the facts of this case because I absolutely disagree with what Mississippi is trying to do here.

**djzombie** · 2012-01-12 16:30

Guess you never heard of that little tiff we had back in the day... something about... "no taxation without representation"

We as a people can not force politicians that are bought and paid for by corporate interests to represent us after they've been elected. Seems kinda silly that you would even imply such a thing.

Demosthenes11 · 2012-01-12 16:32

pohi is 100000% right here.

take notes

**pohibaba** · 2012-01-12 16:32

Originally Posted by djzombie

Guess you never heard of that little tiff we had back in the day... something about... "no taxation without representation"

What do you think a legislature is, if not a collection of representatives?

Demosthenes11 · 2012-01-12 16:33

Originally Posted by djzombie

Guess you never heard of that little tiff we had back in the day... something about... "no taxation without representation"

LOL you have no fucking idea what that means do you

**hey** · 2012-01-12 16:35

Originally Posted by djzombie

Guess you never heard of that little tiff we had back in the day... something about... "no taxation without representation"

You have representation. If you don't like who is representing you, then vote for someone else in the next election.

**djzombie** · 2012-01-12 16:40

So by the responses here everything is working as intended. Try to say that without a shit eating grin on your face.

**pohibaba** · 2012-01-12 17:03

Originally Posted by djzombie

So by the responses here everything is working as intended. Try to say that without a shit eating grin on your face.

I'm honestly trying to respond to you without sounding snarky, but it's difficult. Would you have been OK if the Civil Rights Act of 1964 wouldn't have been passed because it was contrary to public opinion?

**Correction** · 2012-01-12 17:33

Originally Posted by hey

How does this deserve a thread?

"Don't make new threads!"

Shut the fuck up.

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