Sure - whatever helps you sleep at night
Democracy isn't a dirty word, man. That's really my only point - you can actually have an understanding of the Democratic system and how it exists and is used in our limited government and not be an evil sonofab$%@#. Sure there are people who don't comprehend what true Democracy does to an unlimited government at the will of idiot citizens, but that doesn't make it an entirely bad concept (whose name we don't speak).
Confront your fears man - say it with me... "Democracy!". See? Only a few puppies died that time.
I can say democracy. I can also say mob rule and lynch mob. The democratic element to our republic is extremely important. A republic without the democratic element is just as bad as a pure democracy. China claims to be a republic as did the USSR. I'm just saying our form of government isn't a democracy, it's a republic. Constitutional republic is probably the most accurate description, but democratic republic works too.