Open Government Requires Participation, Says First Amendment Scholar
Middle Tennessee State UniversityAlthough U.S. citizens can't vote on each individual issue or dilemma facing this nation, that's no excuse for Americans to refrain from participating in their own governance, declares Dr. Larry Burris, a First Amendment scholar and journalism professor, who adds that "the public's business should be conducted in public; not in smoke-filled rooms, restaurants or sports facilities."