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)
