The will of the many It gets really tiresome reading letters from people bemoaning the refusal of voters to accept the "will of the people" only when it suits their taste. The word "democracy" always creeps into the argument. I have news for these people: The United States is not a democracy; it is a constitutional republic. There is a huge difference, and we can be thankful for the distinction. In a democracy, if one existed, the majority would have the final say, and it would not be a blessing to the minority.
When I was a child in the '40s, the most democratic region of the country was the Deep South, where black people could not drink from certain fountains or attend schools that offered quality education because the majority set the rules. The main value of a constitutional republic is that the rights of the few are protected from the will of the many. For that we can thank God, who is not mentioned in the Constitution.
If we were truly a democracy, Wyoming with 10 percent of Minnesota's population would not have 30 percent of our electoral college votes. Nor would we have a Senate with two members per state, regardless of size.
States, and even Congress, can go on passing unfair laws, but we have a Supreme Court to set things right so long as people of good will occupy the bench.
DANIEL R. KRUEGER, MINNEAPOLIS
Serious health issue deserves sensitivity As someone who sees on a daily basis the devastating and life-threatening effects of eating disorders on all populations, but especially teenaged girls, I must respond to Colin Covert's poor choice of words in his Nov. 20 review of the new vampire movie, "Twilight," a movie which specifically targets a young adult audience.
Covert describes the hero, Edward, as "perfect" as a result of his "eating disorder." To imply that an eating disorder makes anyone perfect, much less desirable, shows a lack of understanding that eating disorders are serious mental health issues, which are exacerbated by many factors -- not the least of which are society's impossible standards of perfection when it comes to physical appearance.
In future writing, we would ask that Covert use the same sensitivity he would exhibit when making comparisons to other illnesses such as diabetes or cancer. They, like eating disorders, are very serious health issues, which if left untreated can result in permanent physical damage and even death.
