the problem with just HAVING democracy

The problem with democracy is the illusion that just because your country is democratic, you are good to go. That is to say that simply by knowing your government is structured in accordance with the democratic process, you are "safe" and "heard" and "represented."

Unfortunately, that is not the case. Democracy is not a self-sustaining or autonomous unit. It NEEDS participation from everyone--and not just on voting day.

When citizens of America, for example, sit around with their thumbs up their asses, feeling content that every vote counts, and they happened to vote, we fail democracy. Democracy is only operable if we are all attentive to the process, involved, concerned, and take action.

That means understanding what legislation is on the table. That means being in contact with your elected officials. That means knowing how to organize and get organized. That means lobbying and protesting and communicating and challenging and everything else that is the opposite of complacent and stagnant (and I understand the classist dimension to what I just said, but for the sake of getting my point across, I am not going to dwell on that right now). Clearly, you can't know and do everything, but there is certainly a reasonable degree that should be expected.

So when you think that our country is a sham, I just have to point out: is it so unlikely that our entire process is abused and corrupt because the very keepers of democracy, the citizens, have relinquished all responsibilities of oversight and participation?

I think of it like this: if a student leaves her/his laptop alone in the library, goes to get food and fart around campus...s/he can be expected that the laptop will be gone upon return. Of course, the student can get upset over how cruel or selfish the thief is, philosophize on the ethics of our world, and throw her/himself a pity party, OR the student can simply employ the proper precautionary methods and not leave valuables alone and unprotected.

Most Americans leave their most precious valuable, their RIGHTS, all alone on the front porch, the library, the coffee shop, in the car with the windows down, wherever. I suppose it to valid to question and feel pain over the existence of corruption and ill-will, but that is not productive.

I am going to stop rambling, but the point is, it is not enough to HAVE democracy, you have to DO democracy.