,V]MONT ,T[N ,MEET+ 
,\R ,DIRECT ,DEMOCRACY 

#bai 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,DAVID ,VAN ,DEUS5 

,TEXT 3 

,M>* #e?1 #b#a#i1 ,CABOT ,V,T -,TODAY1 ! FIR/ ,TUESDAY ( ,M>*1 IS ,T[N ,MEET+ ,DAY 9 ,V]MONT4 ,:ILE A COMMUNITY MAY HAVE MANY ,T[N ,MEET+S DUR+ ! YE>1 ?IS IS ! ONE DAY :5 EV]Y COMMUNITY HAS A ,T[N ,MEET+ ALL AT ONCE4 ,& H]E1 ALL ! CITIZ5S COLLECTIVELY ACT AS ! LEGISLATIVE BRAN* ( ! LOCAL GOV]NM5T4 ,ONE CITIZ51 ONE VOTE4 ,UNLIKE 9 ! RE/ ( ! ,UNIT$ ,/ATES1 T[NS 9 ,V]MONT HAVE ! RI<T TO CONDUCT ALL !IR GOV]NM5T BUS9ESS FROM ! FLOOR ( ! ,T[N ,MEET+4 ,?IS MEANS CITIZ5S HAVE ! ABILITY TO OP5LY DEBATE V>I\S PROPOSALS1 BUDGET ITEMS1 & RESOLUTIONS4 ,!Y ALSO HAVE ! P[] TO AM5D SU* ITEMS AS !Y SEE FIT4 ,TRADITIONALLY VOTES >E PUBLIC & :5 WEI<+ :]E Y\ /& ON AN ISSUE1 Y\ DO SO KN[+ ?AT Y\ WILL NE$ TO MAKE Y\R POSITION KN[N TO Y\R NEI<BORS :O MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE ) Y\4 ,& :ILE ! LION'S %>E ( ,T[N ,MEET+ ISSUES HAVE A CLE> & DIRECT GR\ND+ 9 MORE PRACTICAL LOCAL AFFAIRS 7LIKE %\LD ! T[NS PEOPLE RAISE ! MONEY TO PUR*ASE A NEW SN[PL[ TRUCK1 OR %ALL ! T[N BUILD A NEW FIRE /ATION1 OR />T A COMMUNITY OR*>D71 !RE HAVE BE5 IMPORTANT HI/ORIC MOM5TS :5 ,T[N ,MEET+S HAVE TACKL$ ISSUES WELL BEYOND ! SCOPE ( !IR MORE IMM$IATE CONC]NS4 

,9 ! #a#g#gS ,T[N ,MEET+ BECAME ! VOICE ( ,V]MONT]S 9 9SURRECTION :O1 AT ! TIME1 W]E FI<T+ = SELF-DET]M9ATION ?R\< AN >M$ GU]RILLA /RUGGLE AGA9/ ! ,ROYAL ,NEW ,YORK ,COLONY 7I4E4 ,E?AN ,ELL5 & ! ,GRE5 ,M\NTA9 ,BOYS74 ,LAT]1 ,T[N ,MEET+ BECAME A PLACE TO ORGANIZE ACTIVE SUPPORT = ! ,AM]ICAN ,REVOLUTION AGA9/ ! ,BRITI% ,EMPIRE4 ,MORE REC5TLY1 9 ! #a#i#hS1 ,T[N ,MEET+ BECAME A MEANS ?R\< :I* ,V]MONT]S REGI/]$ !IR VOICE 9 OPPOSITION TO NUCLE> PROLIF]ATION4 ,& DUR+ ! SECOND T]M ( ! ,GEORGE ,W ,BU% ,PRESID5CY1 ! ,T[NS ( ,BRATTLEBORO @& ,M>LBORO W5T SO F> AS TO VOTE TO ISSUE >RE/ W>RANTS = ! ,PRESID5T & ,VISE ,PRESID5T = TREASON 7W>RANTS :I* 9 !ORY HOLD SWAY IF ,BU% OR ,*5EY EV] /EP FOOT 9 ?OSE T[NS & IF !Y CAN BE APPREH5D$ BY ! LOCAL ,CON/ABLE74 

,V]MONT'S LONG /&+ TRADITION ( ,T[N ,MEET+1 ?IS PRACTICE 9 DIRECT DEMOCRACY1 WAS LO/ TO MO/ ( ! ,U4,S4 DUR+ YE>S ( C\NT]-REVOLUTION IMM$IATELY FOLL[+ ! VICTORY OV] ,BRITTAN 9 ! #a#g#hS4 ,H]E1 WEAL?Y 9T]E/S F\<T TO ROLL BACK ! DEMOCRATIC GA9S MADE BY REGUL> PEOPLE DUR+ ! SOCIAL UPHEAVAL ?AT WAS ! W>4 ,P[]1 WAS AGA9 VE/$ 9 9/ITUTIONS CONTROLL$ BY ! RI* & P[]FUL4 ,BUT ,V]MONT WAS PROTECT$ FROM ?IS REGRESSION BY REMA9+ AN 9DEP5D5T REPUBLIC = F\RTE5 =MATIVE YE>S FOLL[+ ! ,REVOLUTION4 ,& \R RI<TS & TRADITIONS CONT9UE TO ?IS V]Y DAY4 

,WE1 AS ,V]MONT]S1 %\LD BE PR\D ( \R REMA9+ VE/IGES ( DIRECT DEMOCRACY4 ,IT WAS = SU* DEMOCRATIC PR9CIPLES ?AT CITIZ5S ( ,FRANCE DI$ ON ! WALLS DUR+ ! ,P>IS ,COMMUNE ( #a#h#g#a4 ,& IT IS = SIMIL> PR9CIPLES ?AT ! PEOPLE ( ,ROJAVA 7,SYRIA7 CONT9UE TO FI<T AGA9/ ,I,S,I,S & ,TURKI% ,AGGRESSION4 ,BUT IT IS NOT 5\< = US TO TAKE PRIDE 9 :AT WE HAVE4 ,= TRUE DEMOCRACY TO NOT ONLY SURVIVE BUT TO FL\RI%1 WE MU/ ALSO /RUGGLE TO EXP& ! SCOPE & AU?ORITY ( ,T[N ,MEET+ & TO MAKE IT EV5 MORE MEAN+FUL 9 ! MOD]N AGE4 

,V]MONT %\LD !RE=E TAKE /EPS TO EMP[] ,T[N ,MEET+ :]EBY ! PEOPLE !MSELVES RECLAIM ! P[] TO PASS BROAD LEGISLATION & TO IMPACT \R L>G] ECONOMIC @& SOCIAL CONDITIONS ?R\< A DIRECTLY DEMOCRATIC ,T[N ,MEET+ REF]5DUM SY/EM4 ,WE %\LD NOT HAVE TO WAIT = ! ,GOV]NOR & ! ,G5]AL ,ASSEMBLY TO BE PRESSUR$ 9TO PASS+ ! @s#a#e AN H\R LIVABLE WAGE1 PAID FAMILY M$ICAL LEAVE1 S+LE PAY] UNIV]SAL HEAL?C>E1 & C>D *ECK ,UNION RECOGNITION4 ,RA!R ,V]MONT'S CON/ITUTION CAN BE AM5D$ TO GRANT ?AT :5 & IF FIFTY-P]C5T-PLUS-ONE ,T[N ,MEET+S1 REPRES5T+ A MAJORITY ( ,V]MONT]S1 PASS A RESOLUTION ON A GIV5 ISSUE1 ?AT RESOLUTION %ALL BECOME LAW ( ! L& 7& NOT SUBJECT TO ! VETO ( ! ,GOV]NOR OR ,G5]AL ,ASSEMBLY74 ,& BY PURSU+ A REF]5DUM SY/EM :I* IS /ILL L9K$ TO A T[N'S RI<T TO CONDUCT SU* DECISIONS ?R\< A P>TICIPATORY FLOOR DEBATE & VOTE1 WE W\LD PRES]VE ! 9T]-HUMAN CONNECTIONS 9 A COMMUNITY 9 SU* A WAY ?AT W\LD REAFFIRM ! IMPORTANCE & VALIDITY ( ! 9DIVIDUAL OP9ION AS IT ULTIMATELY BECOMES EFFECT$ & TRANS=M$ ?R\< A DIRECTLY DEMOCRATIC & COLLECTIVE PROCESS4 ,?IS IS ,FRE$OM @& ,UNITY4 

-,DAVID ,VAN ,DEUS51 ,DI/RICT ,VISE ,PRESID5T ( ! ,V,T ,A,F,L-,C,I,O 

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,*RONOLOGY 3 
,M>* #e1 #bai 3 ,V]MONT ,T[N ,MEET+ -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,APRIL #a#i1 #bb 3 ,V]MONT ,T[N ,MEET+ -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #c1 #bbb 3 ,V]MONT ,T[N ,MEET+ -- ,UPDAT$4 

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