Editor’s Note: This event has since occurred.

The thing about us Americans is, we’ve got big mouths on us.

We like to complain. We like to argue. We like our opinions like we like our steaks: big and juicy.

But if there’s one thing we value just as much as our opinions, it is our comfortable couches. In fact, far too often our couches are so damn comfortable that we lose all motivation to actually do something about our opinions.

This lighting bolt fist is supposed to represent cyber rights, but it's dope enough to represent more than that.

And that’s why so often our big juicy ideas stay just that: ideas.

Something we tend to forget is that we live in a system of government called a democracy, and in a democracy our leaders are morally obliged to represent the opinions of their constituents. But those representatives can’t know the opinion of their constituents unless we tell them, right? They’re not, as one might say, mind readers.

And let’s be honest: If the average citizen voter doesn’t let their opinion be known to their Senators and Congressmen and city officials, you almost can’t blame them for making choices that benefit corporate interests first.

Hey, at least the suits show up at the party.

You, my ripped jeans wearing friend, need to show up too.

Tonight at Blair Middle School in Norfolk at 7:30pm there will be a candlelight vigil in support of a public health care option. Nic Renz, one of the organizers, expects there to be over 1,000 people in attendance.

I say let’s shoot for 2,000. 5,000. Why not?

If we want them to care, we have to prove that we care first.

According to Nic there will be personal stories told by people who have gone bankrupt (or worse) as a result of our privatized, upper-class friendly health care system. Come hear their stories. Be a number to be counted. Our representatives read the paper and watch the news.

Even if you don’t agree with universal health care in any of its forms, show up too. A democracy is only as strong as the people who participate in it, a wiser man than me once said.

And it’s f–king true, right?