What Russell says. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul ------ "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who, in times of moral crisis, remain neutral" --Dante
> From: "Russell W Peterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2002 11:15:50 -0600 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [Mpls] Re: Abstention fever > > I have always hated abstention voting except in the case of > conflict of interest. I have been unable to find in > Robert's Rules of Order abstention as a voting method, > perhaps somebody else has a source. However it does say, > "No one can vote on a question affecting himself." This > would verify the argument that voting on your pay raise is > improper. > > In Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary we have the following > definition for abstain: to refrain deliberately and often > with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice. > > And since it isn't counted as a vote as Brian and Robert's > Rules seem to illuminate, it makes for a curious argument > that perhaps the representatives who vote as such are not > really voting at all. In fact they had no vote on the > issue. This is particularly important for representatives > who support alternative voting methods to help increase the > voices of minority populations and so firmly believe in the > right to vote. It has to be hard to say to supporters, "Get > out and vote for me" and then when you get there you don't > vote for those who voted for you. Also I've always felt > that organizations who were highly dysfunctional used > abstention to avoid facing up to the truth - or as I like to > say sometimes, "conflict avoidance." Perhaps that is the > case here too. > > So, IMHO, unless there is a conflict of interest, abstention > voting is really a non-vote and should be viewed as such. > Essentially, those people did not exercise their right to > vote. For too long the media has put attention on those who > abstain - thinking it is strategic or highlighting their > efforts as if they have something important to say - or a > signal to future actions. And in fact, we've been doing the > same thing on this list. Highlighting those who abstained > and giving them more attention just propagates the action. > > I say, they didn't vote. Therefore, they shouldn't have a > say in what should happen and we shouldn't pay any attention > to them on the issue. Thus, the outcome is that the vote > passed by a whopping margin. > > > > R u s s e l l W. P e t e r s o n > > Saint Michael, Minnesota > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ____________________________________ > "You can only fly if you stretch your wings." > > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
