What purpose does the right of appeal
serve?
Answer
There came to this country some hundred years
ago a French Baron whose family and himself had
been wracked by the French revolution, De
Toqueville, and he was a worshipful admirer of
democracy. And in those days democracy seemed to
be mostly expressed in people's minds by votes
of simple majorities. And he was a worshipful
admirer of the spirit of democracy as expressed
by the power of a majority to govern. But, said
de Toqueville, a majority can be ignorant, it
can be brutal, it can be tyrannous - and we have
seen it. Therefore, unless you most carefully
protect a minority, large or small, make sure
that minority opinions are voiced, make sure
that minorities have unusual rights, your
democracy is never going to work and its spirit
will die. This was de Toqueville's prediction
and, considering today's times, is it strange
that he is not widely read now?
So that is why in this Conference we try to get
a unanimous consent while we can; this is why we
say the Conference can mandate the Board of
Trustees on a two - thirds vote. But we have
said more here. We have said that any Delegate,
any Trustee, any staff member, any service
director - any board, committee or whatever -
that wherever there is a minority, it shall
always be the right of this minority to file a
minority report so that their views are held up
clearly. And if in the opinion of any such
minority, even a minority of one, if the
majority is about to hastily or angrily do
something which could be to the detriment of
Alcoholics Anonymous, the serious detriment, it
is not only their right to file a minority
appeal, it is their duty.
So, like de Toqueville, neither you nor I want
either the tyranny or the majority, nor the
tyranny of the small minority. And steps have
been taken here to balance up these relations.
(GSC, 1960)
