PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

It is not just our economy that is at stake, it is our democracy itself. The first step in protecting it & expanding it comes from  the demonstrations themselves, from gathering people together to show that citizens matter and can make a difference. The second step is to show that not all policy solutions have to come from the top down, to wash over the lives of citizens. They can also rise up, even from the  streets.

The second step is to find concrete ways to make the voice of the people heard more clearly and loudly. Now, let's be  certain, that voice includes all of the people, of all backgrounds, but  it should be pushed forward, shaped and guided by those who want to  invest in our future and who have a positive belief in America's strengths and possibilities. If the founding fathers of our nation were to suddenly come back, I think they would be highly disappointed in how  little we have leveraged the democratic opportunities we were given. Citizens are on the sidelines while the carnival spectacle of government grinds on and on.

One step: let's have a citizen's legislature next year, one that is carefully organized to produce results. When that body votes new solutions, let those in our pathetic Congress ignore them at their own peril. Let's seek and find new ways to make democracy a stronger force when government seeks gridlock for its own benefit.

Let's stand smack in the way of those who would corrupt our democracy and try to take it away. The US Chamber of Commerce had a 100 million dollar campaign in '09&10 to negate the elections of '08. Rick Perry and others support taking away our right to elect US Senators. What's next,  appointed presidents?

These are indeed citizens angry at the right people: Wall Street has ruined our economy, corrupted business and seeks to suck democracy itself into its vortex. Let's take back our  democracy and keep it healthy, forever. Let's allow the optimism of our  nation to prevail over doubters.

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