As a young person, I am happy to say that I voted. I am looking forward to the day when the Conservatives are not in power. But I am shocked with how many people I have talked to lately that have told me they are not voting. I understand that no matter who you vote for, the government always wins. But in this case, I urge you to use your right to vote to oppose a government that does not care about people, which uses fear-mongering and outright racism to gain votes (in the case of the niqab).
Other parties have campaigned on the promise to enact proportional representation if elected which will bring this country closer to the semblance of a true democracy. We can’t have 39 per cent of voters determining how Canada is run (which is what happened in the last federal election).
My idealism tells me to vote Green but I understand that if we want to remove Stephen Harper from power it is important to vote strategically for the candidate in our riding that has the best chance of beating the Conservative MP. Use your postal code at votetogether.ca for information and recent polls regarding your riding.
I urge all people, young and old, to vote and to encourage others to do so as well. I’m sick of hearing that you “don’t care,” or you “vote every day of your life,” or you’re “not interested,” or complain when the Conservatives get re-elected.
The apathy is gross.
If you care an ounce about the future, the environment, freedom (Bill C-51!), indigenous rights, women’s rights, social services, education, healthcare, the arts, CBC, etc., please take 15 minutes out of your day to vote. Voting is the easiest step!
It’s not radical to vote. It’s just a small part of the whole.
M.A. Murphy
Nelson
