Public Assembly…gotta love it. This is the essence of democracy - whereby the citizenry of a given area/social network get together to make decisions concerning the group and society as a whole. We've created institutions that are supposed to provide for this discourse, dialogue, and input on a regular basis but, some would say, these institutions have been either hijacked or are ineffective.
Although recent gatherings in New York and elsewhere are being organized and carried out as a protest against the financial sector, these are types of public assembly that stand in stark contrast to the representative type of democracy that exists in most western nations. (click here for more info) During these types of gatherings citizens engage directly in a dialogue about the issues concerning them, rather than deferring to an elected representative to speak on their behalf. Indicators that representative democracy is not working as well as it should include low voter turnout, mandates that are not achieved through majority support, policy and project approvals that do not meet with public support, and decision making that does not involve consultation with majority stakeholders (i.e., the people/citizens/residents or bona-fide community groups).
Well, recent events have provided motivation for vast numbers of people to say enough is enough. And although it's a protest, the dialogue sessions and speeches by the citizens and the 99% who are affected by the decisions of the few harken back to the notion that each person can contribute and have their say with respect to the issues of the day.
