Reader's view: Keep precious river of democracy flowing free

Vice President Hubert Humphrey once said, “Democracy is not perfect but is still the greatest form of government in the world.”
Democracy, however, is fragile and subject to upheaval from numerous individual groups focused only on their self-serving agendas.
Democracy, like a river, flows and meanders from its source to the mighty sea, under constant peril, and must be protected to keep its water flowing. Along the way, towns and farmlands are provided water, and wildlife and ecology are sustained. The sea provides fish to feed people and weather fronts that bring rains to the land mass through which the river flows; it’s all connected.
The course of the riverbed occasionally changes because of floods, landslides, erosion, dams and levees, but the important thing is to maintain its constant flow of water. Is this not true of democracy, too?
In the pioneer days of western America, sometimes a greedy cattle baron would buy up the highlands (often surreptitiously) along an important creek. He would then dam up the creek to create ponds from which to water his cattle, leaving only a contaminated trickle for the farmers located below him. A few old Western movies portray the plights of those farmers who, in desperation, would join forces to blow up the dams, thereby releasing the flow of water to save their farms. Could this not happen to democracy, too, as politicians might use up our freedoms to enhance their power and rule without restrictions?
We must be vigilant to allow the river of democracy to flow freely in our great country because it is fragile, and has many enemies. It is precious and it is ours, paid for with the blood of our patriotic veterans.
Dennis Cooke
Proctor