Democracy Stolen... and then Ripped in Half?

While I was one of the five people watching the Emmy's on Sunday night (and I only watched it a little bit, I swear), I couldn't help but catch the part where the guy from MySpace gave an award to Al Gore for his viewer-creation-centered cable channel Current TV. My brother and I watch Current TV on occasion, it isn't the best thing (and it certainly has a political agenda), but I don't think it's award worthy.

Merits of the award aside, it was Al Gore's speech upon receiving the award that bothered me. During his speech he said that he created this television channel in order for Americans to "take back democracy."

When was democracy taken away from us? Is he referring to when the Supreme Court ruled that he couldn't recount the votes that he didn't have in Florida any more? Or is he implying that somehow we have been stripped of our democratic right to vote, voice our opinion, change channels, and make up our minds? To me it just seemed like another trumped up, hyperbolic claim to make his cause seem nobler than most.

But then it got me thinking back to when I attended the National Wave Kick-Off in Freedom. While the Hulkster was up on stage ripping off various shirts and twirling his "Freedom Towel," he told us that this national effort of towel-waving was to unite the country again. He said that we were too polarized, that our country was torn apart... it sounded to me as if we were on the brink of another civil war!

Perhaps I'm not as pessimistic. I don't see America on the brink of any civil war, or any more divided than it has been since its founding. America is about the freedom to disagree and discuss ideas. When we need to be unified, we are. During World War II, when our way of life was legitimately challenged, we banded together... the same goes for the aftermath of 9/11. Now, we're not so unified in terms of the war, health care, and religion, but do we have to be?

I always thought that it was through challenge and opposition that ideas developed and grew stronger. Like in college, when you write a rough draft and take it to a tutor or the Writing Center, the counselor doesn't "unite" with you and pat you on the back. They challenge you by disagreeing with what you wrote. It makes you stronger and better.

We as Americans are already united... and we have our democracy. It's just easy to say that it was taken away from us. And they probably blame President Bush somehow.