Agreed that we are not a pure democracy. But neither are we a pure republic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cerran";p="
In a republic that land is YOUR land and cannot be taken away by the will of the majority. Therefore in a republic rights and property of the minority are protected from the collective will of the more powerful majority. Simply put, there are certain things you cannot vote on in a republic.
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Case in point. Eminent domain is precisely a public, involuntary taking of private land.
And there are plenty of laws that place restrictions on private property, from zoning laws to making it illegal to own nuclear weapons or heavy artillery, or needing a license to handle prescription medications or toxic bacteria or large amounts of explosives.