H Cook’s letter (Thanks for case for republicanism. Manx Independent, January 26) concerns the monarchy, and advocates a campaign for a secular democracy where there is no established state religion; everyone is equal before the law; religious codes don’t undermine the judicial process; free expression isn’t restricted by religious considerations; religion plays no role in state-funded education; the state doesn’t express religious preferences or promote religious practices; there is freedom of belief and non-belief; public service provision doesn’t discriminate on religious grounds; and nobody is advantaged or disadvantaged because of religion.

Snuckerdoodles, what’s not to like about that?

The anonymous letter following Cook’s letter (MHKs are rally civil servants) considers our form of democracy and the role of MHKs in it.

The World Wide Web and its derivatives means that every citizen on the island could vote electronically on every issue of importance to them.

Everyone has a unique National Insurance number (or equivalent) for identification and security purposes. Tynwald’s role would then be merely to implement the wishes of the citizens.

Democracy is not a trophy to keep and admire from afar. It is us: a living, changing, evolving spirit.

And it needs our care.

No one is a good reasoner about matters of fact until he has realized that it is very common for a gross falsehood to be firmly and sincerely believed by a great number of supposedly superior persons, and that therefore there is nothing in the argument from the consensus of mankind.

Doug Clark

Ballamodha

Ballasalla

This letter was first published in the Manx Independent of February 2.

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