Some questions need not daunt: ; Unfortunately, legislators are ordinary people

IN a January Charleston Gazette column, Tom Miller volunteered apuzzling defense of West Virginia legislators, picturing them aswell-meaning men and women who must face daunting questions. Miller,who also has reprimanded critics of early pension-vesting strategyon the state Supreme Court, offered this example of a dauntingquestion: whether to support the death penalty. If I were alegislator, I would have no trouble with that one. If I favored thedeath penalty, I would support it. If I didn't, I wouldn't.

A better example might have been how to avoid giving offense tosnuff users. But the example Miller provided was sufficient todisfigure his thesis.

To restate it, a …