But Roger, where have the people spoken? When they took the vote, was I out of the room?
And the capital punishment issue is not a red herring - if you are to claim the mass of public opinion as an infallible guide to the morality of an action, you must accept all of the public's opinions; if it is the general will, then it is surely wrong to disagree!
Forgive me if I'm not speaking clearly and merely 'muddying the waters' (seems to be the phrase de jour), but I'm simply putting across my point of view and it seems to be instructive to use examples and comparisons to make the point. You're quite entitled to take the the opposite stance - I realise that your mind is already made up on the issue and that you are not going to change your opinion. Do you, somehow, think that I will yield to your arguments and change my mind?!
Essentially, we ain't getting anywhere. I posted at length to answer John's question, and I think I've said all I can on the matter. We don't agree, and there's an end to't.
But keep up the good work on the PELs - that's something we can agree on!