Death Penalty Questions and Answers

Jerry Daoust says in an article reprinted from the March 2004 issue of The Winona Catholic Worker, Winona, MN

[Q.] Should the people decide this issue by voting on whether to re-institute the death penalty in Minnesota?

[A.] Governor Pawlenty wants to let Minnesotans vote on the death penalty in a ballot initiative in November. At first glance that looks fair and democratic, but some ideas are so wrong they shouldn't even be raised for consideration. Would it be a good idea for people to vote on a ballot initiative to reinstate segregation? Forty years ago, that might have been popular; today, civilized societies reject racial segregation. State-sponsored execution ought to be another idea whose day is past.

(via The Catholic Worker Movement)

It's one thing if Mr. Daoust is merely trying to be persuasive. But if he means what he says literally, then he's saying there should somewhere reside a power to decide that "some ideas are so wrong they shouldn't even be raised for consideration," including ideas which a majority of the people wish to consider. That does look undemocratic.