No doubt you feel the same way. When it comes to representative government, our opinions certainly should be important. Not all-important, of course. We want representatives who share our values, but we want them to rule by principles, not just by polls. But sometimes public opinion should carry a great deal of weight, even if our representatives have a different opinion.
Foreign policy is one example.
Yet for one reason or another, the United States currently has troops in more than 100 countries. And we are committed to defend scores of allies. A lot of us were very skeptical of the bombing in Kosovo. But our doubts didn't stop our representatives from giving a green light to the action. When troops are sent abroad, life and limb is at stake.