Representative democracy

Thank you for the excellent editorial “Republicans must lose demands for ransom,” Oct. 3. You pointed out so beautifully how representative government works. The House must find a way to compromise. And leaders should not lock members of the opposing party out when their vote would help pass a bill. There are enough members in the House from both Democratic and Republican parties that would pass a budget bill if the leader would only bring the bill to the floor to be voted on.

Yet it seems anathema to a faction of the Republican Party to be seen allowing Republicans to vote the way Democrats do. But compromise is how the system works. That small faction that believes their interpretation of the U.S. Constitution is indisputable is not the majority. Yet they brush that aside when inconvenient to them, for they are obsessed with getting back to true governance. We must, as the editorial makes clear, not allow the majority of sane lawmakers to be taken hostage.

Convince the majority during elections, or abide by the rules when you have not convinced them: That is representative democracy.

Nina Elo

Mead