Ourview
By:
Shandra Jordan
Colleen Buhrer
Willow Welter
It’s important to recognize when anybody does the right thing,
especially when it’s difficult for them. Republican Sen. Lewis Entz
was the lone Republican to vote against a bill banning the use of
racial preferences in college admissions that was defeated strictly
along party lines. He went against his party because he said that
is how his constituents would have liked him to vote.
“I feel like I need a bulletproof jacket,” Entz told the Denver
Post after the vote.
Certainly, there are times when our representatives vote against
the views of their constituents, and they may do that for
legitimate reasons. Maybe they feel they have information that
constituents don’t know and would need to make an educated
decision. Certainly, this is why we elect representatives rather
than voting on every decision the country needs to make.
Other times, however, representatives may give into the pressure
to vote with the party’s views. This can cause problems,
however.
Entz’s district includes a large population of Hispanics who he
felt would be opposed to the bill. Because of this, Entz resisted
the temptation to ignore his constituents, which would have been
more convenient, and for that he deserves kudos.
Politics can have a lot of pressure attached to them, and it is
refreshing to see a representative doing what he should be doing:
representing his constituency. Let’s hope more of our elected
officials follow his lead.
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