An important quote in Panama [View all]

[PJMcK]

In order for my wife and me to obtain cedulas, which are Panamanian government ID cards used throughout the country superceding even our U.S. passports, we had to go through several procedures at the Electoral Tribune offices, The following quote was engraved above the entrance to the building.

"La salud de las democracias cualesquiera que sean su tipo y sagrado, depende de un mísero detalle técnico: el procedimiento electoral. Todo lo damas es secundario. Sin el apoyo de un autentico sufragio, las instituciones democráticas están en el aire."
- Jose Garcia Y Gasset

Translation:

"The health of democracies, whatever their type and form, depends on a seemingly insignificant technical detail: the electoral procedure. Everything else is secondary. Without the support of genuine suffrage, democratic institutions are left hanging in the balance."

This is something all Americans should remember or learn.