<human>: Can you give me the gist of the text in a nutshell?

Let me start by saying that I am a relatively new member of the reddit community (7 months). I now come here almost daily to check in on the cool stuff around the internet. However, many of the interesting posts that I have seen have comments that say 'screw the reposters' or some such thing. I have a problem with this sentiment.

Isn't the whole point of the upvote/downvote system to make things that a majority of people like more visible? If people see a repost and don't know it is a repost, then it deserves the upvotes. Once the majority of the people here have seen something it will stop being upvoted. I find it incredibly elitist for long time redditors to say that a submission that they have already seen isn't OK to post for those of us who are new. 

  I understand that simultaneous posts of the same thing will water down the voting system. That is clearly counterproductive. But if a post is locked and years old it often is new to many of us. 

  If you have seen it before, downvote it. But if a significant number of new people like it enough to upvote it then let it be. Let us enjoy our repost and you can silently judge us for being newcomers, or welcome us into your burgeoning community.
<bot>: Why can't you let the up/downvote system sort out the reposts? They are new to many of us and that is why they are voted up. Thanks.