Are we a democracy?

I recently had a relative argue with my mom when she called us a democracy. He said we are a constitutional republic.

The argument that we are not a democracy, is a false dichotomy and appears to be an argument made by republicans that do not want the label democracy simply because it is similar to democrats. We are a republic because we vote people to represent us. We are also constitutional because we have a constitution. However, we are a democracy because we also vote directly. Even the fact that we vote indirectly makes a democracy because we each get a vote to decide who represents us.  All terms can apply because we have a system set up to meet our needs, not meet a label.

To say (as many do) that a true democracy would take away all God-given rights does not make sense to me.  The question is how (a democracy would have a constitution)? If a congregation of fundamentalists got together and vote on things, they would not take God-given rights away, but that would be a direct democracy.

However, many communities in America function as a constitutional republic and they vote people in that then make laws that take God-given rights away. Constituents go to school that interfere with their right not to hear creationism.  In Montana, “any teacher, principal, or superintendent may open the school day with a prayer.” That means a jewish student must attend to a religious experience in school. On the other hand, with constitutional republics, we can force religious parents to make their children get medical attention.

Whatever label you give to our government, it works (imperfectly) because we are not a theocracy.

Yet.