The essence of democracy

The spirit of democracy cannot be imposed from without. It has to come from within.
- Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

Democracy is a concept, not a characteristic we are born with. So it must be taught or people will not understand it.

Democracy has many faults, and leaders of democratic countries frequently find new ones. though it is flawed in many ways, the best claim for democracy is that it is not as bad as every other form of government.

Democracy requires not just legislation to enact it, but an attitude toward equality and a certain amount of general education of every citizen for it to work.

Perhaps the greatest fault of every other form of government is that they all depend on ignorance by their citizens. They cannot exist without ignorance on a grand scale.

As ignorance is the greatest impediment to the progress of humanity, one must conclude reasonably that the form of government that requires the most education is best.

If democracy depends on education of its citizens, it is the obligation of educated members of democracies to ensure that each child receives a sufficient opportunity to become educated.

Bill Allin
'Turning It Around: Causes and Cures for Today's Epidemic Social Problems,' striving to ensure equality of opportunity for education through democratic means.
Learn more at http://billallin.com/cgi/index.pl