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)
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