Since the beginning of this century, we have had two presidential elections where the candidate with the second-most votes has won, thanks to the antidemocratic Electoral College system. This obviously has had consequences, especially regarding the Supreme Court.
The vast majority of Americans (90%) want much more rigorous background checks on sale of firearms. The NRA and its allies in Congress have not allowed this to happen. This is also due to an antiquated and dubious interpretation of the Second Amendment by the Supreme Court. The idea that 18th-century muskets used for a regulated militia are the equivalent of 21st-century firearms is insane.
The lobby system already gives the rich and powerful unlimited access to Congress that is out of reach of ordinary citizens. Moreover, the Supreme Court has further added to this disparity by giving personhood to corporations in Citizens United. (What a misnomer!)
Finally, the majority of Americans support Roe v. Wade, which has been overturned by the Supreme Court. The idea that a handful of judges can make reproductive decisions for tens of millions of women is obscene.
The Bill of Rights was intended to protect a person(s) from a tyranny of the majority. Considering the above, do we really have a democracy or a tyranny of the minority?
Jerry Kilcourse
Montpelier