LETTER: Democracy or republic?

Let me first say that I do not belong to any political party. I believe they have both been infiltrated by the ones who want to take over America and make it the way they want it.

Constitution Day reminded me that in Article IV, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution, it starts out with, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government…" Why is America called a democracy, if the Constitution says it shall be a republican form of government?

The simplest definition of a democracy is when all of the people involved, vote on an issue. If you belong to an organization, and the members vote on an issue, that is a democratic vote, because all of the members can vote. There is no democratic country in the world because no country lets their citizens vote on laws. There are many types of government, but none of them are a democracy.

The word democracy is not in the Constitution.

Several years ago, I wrote to the Republican party, every Republican in the U.S. Congress, and all of my Idaho politicians, and asked them to call America a republic, but most of them did not reply, and not one of them said they would call America a republic. Even the local chapter of the Republican party call America a democracy. I am still asking people to call America a republic since the Constitution says it shall be.

JOHN DICKEY

Smelterville