On Tuesday, September 5, not far from the Washington Monument on the National Mall in DC, Code Pink, Cindy Sheehan, Vets for Peace, and a long list of other groups from al walks of life will establish Camp Democracy. Apparently the significance of this event is not being realized in many quarters. We’re talking about none other than the occupation of the nation’s capitol, an historic event, and one that has only happened a few times in this nation’s history. The political, social and environmental situation in the U.S. under the Bush regime has become a crisis of major proportions. All standard avenues of redress have been exhausted. The vote has been so corrupted that it may longer provide relief from misgovernment and illegal unconstitutional action. An occupation of the nation’s capitol is the next logical step.

The founders of Camp Democracy clearly make the case for this action:

"Can you name the one country on earth where the government can steal elections, strip away basic rights, spy on citizens, and launch wars based on lies, but where the people do not take over the nation's capital in protest? If you said the United States, you'll be wrong on September fifth when Camp Democracy begins on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. At long last, Americans are preparing to say "Enough is enough," and to do what Ukrainians, Mexicans, or any other people not drugged into acquiescence would do when things got this bad: occupy the capital city to demand peace, justice, environmental sanity, and accountability."

We’ve seen such actions bring change in European states (think Velvet Revolution; think Orange Revolution) and we’re seeing it ongoing in Mexico as we speak. Are the citizens of the United States any less committed? Are we so comfortable or afraid that we wouldn’t try to reclaim our country from the very real forces of darkness? If the answer to that is yes, then we may as well go home and start digging our own graves. However, this observer believes that the rebellious spirit upon which this nation was founded persists to this day. The legacy of democratic change and resistance toward the arrogance of power needs only to be revived. Camp Democracy provides that spark.

Like its’ organizers say: "Camp Democracy will be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from September 5 to 21. This will be a camp for peace, democracy, and the restoration of the rule of law….Camp Democracy is a grassroots effort and will only succeed with the help of many, many people contributing the small amounts (of time and money) they can afford. This is our opportunity to do what the citizens of the Ukraine, of Mexico, and of other countries do when their democracies are taken from them. This is our chance to say, "Enough is enough!"