Opponents justified in making appeal
The Daily Bruin’s editorial board wrote (“Opponents should not abuse state legal system,” May 21) that opponents of Proposition 71 were unjustified in taking their appeal to the state Supreme Court.
Historically, in the western tradition, pure democracy has always been feared because people can easily become a mob, just as a king or leader can become a tyrant.
To avoid such, our Founding Fathers made America a representative democracy, which brings all forms of government together: A monarchy (president), an oligarchy (senate), and a democracy (popular vote).
Each part of the government has competing political power and our state governments also try to imitate this model.
Given this governmental structure and the opinion of the opponents of Proposition 71, it is understandable that they would turn to other parts of our government in order to make their voices heard.
One would hope that the higher government would have a greater respect for the moral views of the 41% percent of voters who did not support this proposition and that the state would find it unreasonable to use taxes for what a large portion of voters find morally reprehensible.
It is actually a sad decision by the state Supreme Court to force such a large group of voters to financially support research contrary to their principles.
Joshua Nogales
Third-year,
computer science
State should keep its hands off rent
In reference to a recent news article (“City Council pushes to preserve rent control,” May 18), property owners have a moral right ““ and should have the legal right ““ to set the price for the rent of their property without interference from the state.
The role of the state should be to protect the rights of landlords to reach voluntary agreements with tenants for mutual benefit.
The government has no business determining what a “fair” rent is and ramming it down the throats of property owners. Rent controls have no place in a free society that respects individual rights.
David Holcberg
Ayn Rand Institute