“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. A democratic republic is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” anon

That metaphor works well with the first lamb as the vulnerable elements of society, the wolves the harsh social elements of the world and the conniving ones, while the well armed lamb is our democratic republic using the constitution, bill of rights and the laws of the USA to make space for our super power, cooperation, which makes human progress possible.

Our Founders had a problem in 1776. They knew that they needed to escape from English dominance, the king and arbitrary but costly laws and they wanted to break with the past ideas that had not allowed thoughtful well intentioned people to rule themselves. That was difficult by itself but they also needed the southern states to join them and their economy was based on domination rather than free enterprise, though slavery was everywhere in the colonies.

And our founders knew the risks, as John Adams said in 1807:

“Democracy, will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes, and no man’s life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure and every one of these will soon mold itself into a system of subordination of all the moral virtues, and intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth, beauty, wit, and science, to the wanton pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few.”

All the leaders knew in their time that the new government was dependent on vital elements not degenerating, hence the complicated government they left us.

Fast forward 150 years to the time we were most secure economically and militarily and the chief justice of the supreme court said:

A republic is not an easy form of government to live under, and when the responsibility of citizenship is evaded, democracy decays and authoritarianism takes over. — 
Earl Warren

and from Elanor Roosevelt, this:

“In the final analysis, a democratic government represents the sum total of the courage and the integrity of its individuals. It cannot be better than they are.”

In our time thousands of people make their living attacking not just the participants but the system itself and the media, our mirror of reality caters to advertiser dollars, not social value, not quality of information.

It is likely then that our work is never done. Oligarchs and would-be-kings, are constantly mounting attacks on whatever order there is.

Keeping a Democratic Republic working is a full time thing, otherwise it may not be there when we need it.

That means voting, staying informed, going to community meetings, visiting local and DC power centers to understand how government works. If you do you will never think of trusting someone else to take care of it.

So here are some resources to start with.

Make it fun, go with friends, but participate.

https://weeklyactionrva.org/

https://www.rvaengage.org/events

https://www.actsrva.org/

https://indivisible.org/

https://www.riscrichmond.org/how_risc_works

https://www.rvacommunityfridges.com/

https://vacommunityvoice.org/

Or do your own search using a search like “rva community

Take it away!