Letter: Don’t diminish the power of the people

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

Professor David Weide's March 10 letter to the Sun, "Time for UNLV to join the 21st century," supporting Chancellor Jim Rogers' effort to eliminate the election of university regents in favor of appointment, represents a mind-set of elitism that is very much on the march.

The Nevada/Missouri Plan to appoint judges, "allowing" the people a yes or no vote on the elite's choices, is another example. Then there are the several proposals in the legislative works to make it difficult, if not impossible, to ever get an initiative or referendum on the ballot.

All of these proposals have one objective: to restructure and greatly reduce the right of the people to choose by vote who will govern and what the ground rules for government will be.

Some people rise to power and retain a genuine faith in the people (Mike O'Callaghan was the best example of that I've seen in Nevada), while others seem to find it easier and easier to convince themselves that if only the "right people" (namely themselves and their cronies) had more control over society, everything would work so much better. They couldn't be more wrong.

Trust yourselves. Trust each other. As Thomas Jefferson said, the people may not be the wisest depository of power, but we are absolutely the most honest and, most importantly, the safest.

Knight Allen, Las Vegas