Democracy is an idea that is found in many countries around the world. According to Howard Zinn, countries like the United States have survived as democracies because the citizens are educated and not afraid to express their opinions on various issues of the country. Contrary to his statements, many people disagree with his statements and claim that disobedience to the government is what destroys democracy. However, I don't agree with what these people have to say; what Howard Zinn is talking about is absolutely true. Without people willing to speak out and disobey what the majority says, all citizens of a country follow the leader. Additionally, people who express their opinions need to be educated because without being intelligent, their opinions have no intellectual support. For a country to function as a democracy, the people of that country must stand up for their beliefs and also be educated to support their views. People must express their opinions to have any political power. By speaking from their perspective, they offer others a different perspective. Others can therefore form their own opinion. This allows democracy to exist because for it to function properly, there must be different points of view. With constantly only one point of view, the country turns into a dictatorship. Additionally, individuals who are not afraid to express their opinions to others are an encouragement to citizens who do not express their opinions. They show that everyone has the right to their beliefs and that we should not be afraid to talk about them to others. A good example of this is Edward Murrow during the McCarthy trials in the 1950s. Even though many people in the middle of the newspaper pressed Hitler, the majority of Germany remained silent and followed his orders. Look where that got them. The reason Hitler became dictator was also because the citizens of Germany let him. They listened to and carried out his every order, causing his power to grow as a feared ruler. Without well-educated people willing to express their thoughts, a country is not capable of functioning as a democracy. People power only exists if they are willing to show that they are not afraid to question the government and form their own opinions on certain issues. Without these leaders from across the country sharing their intelligent opinions, the rest of the citizens would follow the leader, with the government removing the democratic aspect. How different would the United States be if it didn't have these fearless individuals speaking out as role models for the rest of the country ??