Initiative and Referendum

I disagree that California, Colorado and other states should abolish the use of the initiative. Using initiative, or in other words limiting the use of representatives in the government, citizens who are eligible to vote have more voice and power in the system. The main purpose of democracy is to grant people equal rights, with the initiative, people can directly involve in solving problems that they think are significant. The result of the process might not always be a success, but it gathers American people together to voice their own opinions. That is the real meaning of democracy, to get people to vote for what they want best.
The most convincing reason that can be brought on against the initiative is the argument of public knowledge. It questions if the citizens are well informed enough to not be altered easily by the media or other influences. I think it is basically the government's job to inform people. They might not have sufficient information about the issue because the representative system leaves their interest out of consideration. To give them the power to vote directly is to uphold the constitutional idea of equality.
The result of the initiative is profound. A popular example is the same-sex marriage issue in Ohio, 2004. Only one single problem regarding same-sex couple having marriages motivated citizens to vote, or to voice their opinions. It means that some controversial issues placed on the ballot can encourage people to participate more in the democratic process. They have their own voice, or their own power.