Dear Editor,

“ We Are A Republic” (letter to the editor March 23, 2017) It’s a rallying cry for those who put a lot of stock in the notion. I’ve heard it often enough that I was finally compelled to look into it myself. So I could, as the writer said, “get it right.”

It’s true that many of our founding charters include the word “Republic” in their formal titles and the word “democracy” isn’t similarly honored.

A quick reference to a 2004 Webster’s produced the following:

democracy … majority rule with free elections.

republic … a head of state elected by citizens eligible to vote.

One is a process while the other is a government and when combined they produce what we have, democratic republic, aka a democracy.

Our founders cautioned that it would forever be a chore to defend it. How we doing?

Before the point is lost, republics are a dime a dozen and all with differing voter “eligibility” (autocratic, oligarchic, communistic, socialistic, etc.) It’s the application of free elections that has made us shine these 240+ years.

“We the people …” is as democratic as can be and allows me to refer to this republic as it is … A Democracy. There.

Yeah, it has its faults and that behooves us to work to “get it right.” It should never be for sale.

Thank You,

Dan Christensen

Beaver