I'm all for free elections and representative government. I'm also for the people holding supreme power by being able to elect their representatives. I'm not in favor of “direct democracy” as you've pointed out. As you'll note in the quote above, a “true Democracy” is a direct democracy and believe it or not, there are those seeking to establish one here in Utah. The clearest case in point is the “Citizens Ethics Initiative” being floated for Utah by “concerned citizens.” If you haven't read the bill I encourage you to do so. Under the guise of “don't you want an ethical legislature?” (which of course everyone does) a group of 5 people have written into an initiative a system where if the Republicans and Democrats don't perfectly agree on the people to be on this committee, then the creators of the initiative get to be on the committee. I strongly encourage you to read the actual initiative and imagine your political opponents having a position of power where by law they were not allowed to have their actions reviewed by the attorney general, they have the power to make law as a committee (no *meat grinder* process and no signature from the governor) and they can make accusations public without letting the accused try to clear his/her name publicly. It's pure hubris on the part of the drafters and scary to think that a largely ignorant public may walk into the booth this November and without any background on the issue see something about having an ethical legislature and vote to enact this into law. That would be an overthrow of the law and an overthrow of republican government by a pure democracy…putting lawmaking into the hands of the people when it is not their constitutional authority to do it. It would be an overthrow of the government. Here's one writer's summary:

https://www.connorboyack.com/blog/utahs-unethica…

This is a great definition of a “direct democracy” but this is not how how democracy has been defined for the past 100 years. According to Webster's Dictionary democracy is: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

Is there anything wrong with free elections or the people holding supreme power?

As much as you love playing with hairy, sweaty men . . . mmmmmmmmmm get some, Oak! Get some! :)

If you can't see how the Daily Herald reporter could infer from your letter (which I've read) that you are accusing BYU and ASD of participating in a socialist conspiracy, then you probably also can't see other, serious flaws in your arguments. Quite frankly, at least to this reader, you are tilting at windmills. You're obviously a good and moral man, and it's a shame to see someone like you caught up in such (obvious) nonsense. Please seriously consider reading Bertrand Russell's “Problems of Philosophy.” It will help you develop the mental tools necessary to understand what you are missing. You're right: our country is in peril. But you have misidentified the problem. Seriously. In my opinion, this peril is greatly increased because many good, honest, decent people like you have been swept up by the rhetoric of demagogues who want nothing more than to keep you angry and frustrated and marginalized (because it allows them to continue making money off you).

I.e., Oak, believe it or not, you are feeding the very machine you purport to be fighting against.
Good luck.