Five signs that make me hopeful for democracy

Democracy isn't just about ensuring everyone has a right to vote -- it's about ensuring voices have a way to be heard, citizens have a way to learn, and money isn't an insurmountable obstacle in the pursuit of happiness. (My definition of democracy = widespread accessibility, freedom of distribution, among other things.)

Five recent developments that give me hope for democracy are as follows:

1. The community college system. As I watched my older brother get his AA a few years ago, I realized how lucky I am to live in a country that provides at least basic higher education to "level the playing field." At least there are no excuses for people with the drive and the motivation not to educate themselves.

2. Self-publishing. Even if it's turning publishing on its head, maybe that's a good thing. For so many years, we've been limited to whatever the big publishing moguls want to see. We've been subject to their prices, their system: if a book isn't going to sell 100,000 copies, it isn't worth being read. Now, with companies that can print single copies of books at affordable prices, niche publishing can thrive and writers can craft freely for the love of the art.

3. Blogging. I love newspapers, but as a forum for new thoughts and reader interaction, they can be expensive and clumsy. Ideas are fair game for publication, whether or not they'll draw a readership of 100,000. And we're no longer at the mercy of our city's single editorial writer.

4. YouTube. Once again, art and culture are only a computer away. YouTube has helped us wriggle from the constraints of cable television providers and big Hollywood studios. Granted, there is a lot of muck on it, but as a venue for education, it can be invaluable.

5. Online book selling. While I can see its potential detriment to a writer's livelihood, it's terribly democratic in making rare books available and expensive books affordable. It's also a great antidote to our wasteful, consumerist culture that stockpiles or throws away books and tends to limit literacy to the elite.

Stay tuned for tomorrow: Five roadblocks to democracy.