If a mostly white state or city voted for "separate but equal" racial segregation of public housing,

[Nye Bevan]

and the residents of the public housing were also in favor of such segregation, should the democratic wishes of the majority be respected?

(Inspired by this thread where I was surprised by the number of DUers supporting racial segregation if that's what the people want:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027574751 )

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[Greybnk48]

1. If the majority ruled, Blacks would not be voting at all.

The Civil Rights Amendment would not have passed by popular vote.

[notadmblnd]

2. It would be unconstitutional to enact segregation laws

So the majority is shit out of luck.

[Nye Bevan]

3. +1.

As I put it in the other thread, when it comes to civil rights you often have to tell the democratic majority to go pound sand.

[Humanist_Activist]

4. Wow, there was an actual segregationist on this board, even arguing against Fair Housing...

laws.

[world wide wally]

5. If civil rights were a matter of popular vote, we would still have slavery in the South

and probably a few other places too.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. Public Housing

Like Section 8 housing?

[meow2u3]

7. This is where the will of the people falls short

If constitutional rights were decided by a majority vote, women and minorities wouldn't have any. Sometimes you have to defy the will of the people to protect the minority against the tyranny of the majority. Democracy would devolve into ochlocracy.

[HereSince1628]

10. Which is why there are courts and guiding documents

The courts are supposed to be nonpartisan and without economic and social bias.

Of course, the courts and the guiding documents don't function perfectly.

[Humanist_Activist]

8. That one person on that thread, the one for "freedom of association" who called you a soviet...

seems to be outright pro-segregation, even to the extent of rolling back the legal progress of the 1960s and 1970s in fair housing and realty.

Apparently they see nothing wrong with many of the discriminatory practices of the government and private businesses and individuals all the way up to 1968 or so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_segregation_in_the_United_States

[LittleBlue]

9. Only a matter of time before "This is different because..." crowd chimes in

Waiting to hear the justifications.

[uppityperson]

11. Isn't your question about involuntary segregation where that other is about voluntary?

There is a huge difference between those 2.

[Iggo]

12. No.