[MD] Biological Quality & Social Conservatism

[ARLO J BENSINGER JR]

[Arlo previously]
>From whose intellect do we derive the right of "free speech", a right that I
take it you think the majority should not be able to vote away?

[Platt]
Good question. What's the answer?

[Arlo]
Well, I suppose the "literal" answer would be, in this case, a "consensus of
learned individuals appealing to philosophy and reason". Perhaps adding "with
the power to enforce their decision on anyone who would dissent" (assuming
there were colonists who may have not liked the whole "free speech" thing). 

Much as it is beleagured, I think representational government, with a guarded
divisions of power, with the capability to determine when something transcends
"majority vote" and when to respect the will of the majority is the best we
have come up with.

Of course, there are always Plato's ideas on The Republic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Republic_%28Plato%29