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Canadians: Vote
Oct. 14th, 2008 06:35 amToday is the day, folks - Canada's fortieth general election. The polls open at eight and close at eight, at least around here. Your employer is REQUIRED BY LAW to ensure that you have time to vote if you ask for it.
So, vote.
In keeping with election traditions, I'm not saying who I'll be voting for, publicly, until the election is over, because the campaign is over and it's election day. When I get to school, I'm going to be asking the deputy returning officer setting up in the gym if I can bring my grade fives through to see the polling station - a field trip without leaving the school. And this afternoon when we get home, the girls and I will get my voter registration card and my driver's license, and go across the street so I can vote.
This is important. Even if it won't change anything - and depending where you live, it might not - even if you don't know which party will do the best job - practically everybody has that problem at the moment - get out there and do the thing that generations of people have fought, died, and LIVED that you might have the chance. Do the thing that large swaths of the world still only dream about doing. Participate in the process that Canadians have helped to create in Ukraine and South America and other developing democracies around the world.
Vote.
Don't take it all for granted. Don't let cynicism overwhelm you. Just get to your local school gymnasium or church hall or community centre or apartment building foyer where the polling station for your neighbourhood is located, and vote.
So, vote.
In keeping with election traditions, I'm not saying who I'll be voting for, publicly, until the election is over, because the campaign is over and it's election day. When I get to school, I'm going to be asking the deputy returning officer setting up in the gym if I can bring my grade fives through to see the polling station - a field trip without leaving the school. And this afternoon when we get home, the girls and I will get my voter registration card and my driver's license, and go across the street so I can vote.
This is important. Even if it won't change anything - and depending where you live, it might not - even if you don't know which party will do the best job - practically everybody has that problem at the moment - get out there and do the thing that generations of people have fought, died, and LIVED that you might have the chance. Do the thing that large swaths of the world still only dream about doing. Participate in the process that Canadians have helped to create in Ukraine and South America and other developing democracies around the world.
Vote.
Don't take it all for granted. Don't let cynicism overwhelm you. Just get to your local school gymnasium or church hall or community centre or apartment building foyer where the polling station for your neighbourhood is located, and vote.
