Question

Why would people be willing to risk their lives for democracy

Answer 1

Democracy is not just the ability of citizens to vote for the candidates they want. It is not even the simple fact that the government responds to the will of the people. Democracy is a form of political organization that respects its citizens, their lives, their freedom, their property and their principles.

The possibility of choosing, of saying what we thought, of educating ourselves, of making decisions freely, we owe to democracy. America, as a democracy, guarantees these rights and many more for its citizens, but there are authoritarian countries that do not, in which their inhabitants suffer from their lack of rights.

Without the right to freedom, no life is complete, so many citizens risk their lives to obtain it. Some do so by fleeing, such as Cubans who risk their lives in rafts in the middle of the ocean, but others do so by fighting tyrant governments, giving their lives to obtain or defend democracy around the world.

Answer 2

If we examine democracy within a certain country, we can definitely conclude that people are able to participate within the government, whether it be directly, or indirectly (a republic). In each case, people are involved in the government, and the people that they choose to elect can affect the laws that are passed, the actions that are taken, etc.

Example: If I vote to elect someone I think would make a great president, I would want him to serve not only myself, but my country as well. In addition, the actions that president takes can have a critical effect on future events. In other words, the actions they do now, can have an effect on decisions in the future.