X-Message-Number: 23519 Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 12:25:03 -0500 (EST) From: Charles Platt <> Subject: The nature of legislation References: <> A well intentioned post on CryoNet reads in part: "Someone on that thread at the Cryonics Cafe suggested that since the bill has already been beaten...." This is like someone saying, after Roe vs. Wade, "Now that the abortion debate is over...." I'm afraid the world doesn't work that way. If you were a legislator who introduced a bill that didn't work in its original wording, would you just say, "I guess regulating that industry was a bad idea," or would you try a rewritten version of the bill in the next legislative session? The answer of course may depend on factors such as whether influential special interests are involved, whether your popularity will benefit from pursuing the issue, and whether it will result in favorable press coverage. I am not saying that Rep. Bob Stump is making these calculations. I don't know the man, his motives, or his record. I'm just observing a general pattern in politics. I have seen this pattern in numerous initiatives, from attempts to outlaw sports betting in Las Vegas to attempts to control indecent content on the Internet. Legislators are paid, in part, to create legislation. We should expect them continue trying to do so. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=23519