"Democracy is our most precious institution, you must respect that!" he said pounding his right fist into his open left hand. 

"Not when all the operating principles are misrepresented and undermined," I replied emphatically.

"Where is our right to a meaningful vote as valued as the next person's? Government no longer supports equality of education or opportunity. Freedom of speech is a shouting match dominated by the loudest. Equitable access to public resources and social infrastructure is largely pork barrelled. The distribution of wealth is dominated by manipulative profiteering cliques."

"The term democracy has been misappropriated, Political leadership is in the hands of the powerful or power mad."

"Our people want to participate, to share the benefits with each other, but our system isn't democratic, it all belies our existence; we wait, and are still denied."

The dVerse prosery prompt to which I have responded comes from Merrill. It seemed to demand a political statement to me. See below: