Election Day In Canada

Today is election day. I, like so many of you, took my registered voter card to my local polling station, got my ballot, and cast my vote. This election I must admit I'm more scared of the potential fallout than I have in past elections. Now I'm not going to sit here and preach to you about who you should or should not vote for and why or why not. That side of it all boils down to personal opinion, and we can all sit here and debate the facts until the sun comes up.

The primary reason for this entry is for those of you who didn't vote today, or just voted for whomever someone else told you to vote for, because you don't really care. That attitude makes me, well, ill. If you didn't vote, I don't want to hear you complain the next time the government does something you don't like. As for those of you who didn't make up your own mind and just voted for who your friends or family voted for, all I can say is I feel ashamed of you. As a Canadian, having the right to vote in a democratic election is such a privilege. We have the freedom to vote for who we choose and to speak out against those we don't agree with. There are so many people in this world who do not get this privilege and who would die to have it, to not care to me is an insult to this great country.

Now I'm not saying sit up all night watching CSPAN and know every aspect of Canadian politics, let's face it, for the most part, it's kind of boring. However, educate yourself enough so that when election time comes, you can make your choice knowing that your vote represents your voice, not someone else's. It doesn't take much, reading a national newspaper, watching the news, picking up a few party platform flyers, or visiting the different party websites. Make it a point to care, because this is as much my country as it is yours and if we, the future of this country, remain apathetic, then our future is very bleak indeed.