i've never been one to be interested in politics. i know i'm not alone. most of you who read this are probably as disengaged as i am when it comes to the issues surrounding the election, or any election for that matter. heck, even the percentage of young people voting in our church regarding church matters is tiny so i'm not surprised that youths in general are disengaged from politics.
for me, it's just tough to understand all the issues. the political jargon confuses me and i don't know how the issues and promises affect me. i want to be able to vote as an informed citizen, but my lack of knowledge discourages me. i'd rather not vote at all than to make an uninformed decision. i'm just one vote. what could it do?
i'm starting to see how important it is to keep up with what's going on in our country and the people who run it on a regular basis, especially when there's no election or crazy political scandal going on. if you try and get familiar with all the issues and where each party stands (btw, did you know there's a marijuana party?) a couple of weeks before election date, it'll be too overwhelming cuz there's so much information, so much history. i've always wanted to stay informed with canadian as well as global issues, but often it's just so hard to keep up and then i end up giving up...until something major happens, that always has to do with something in the past so i can't completely understand what's going on so i try to read up on everything i've missed but so many things have happened, i get discouraged, and the cycle starts again.
i know i'm not alone.
for this election, i'm trying to be as informed as i can be and vote so i can excercise my right and responsibility to voice out my opinion as a Canadian citizen. i know i am an idealist so i believe that my vote matters. i believe that our society can be more peaceful and embracing of the diversity in our culture, without compromising my values. although everyone knows that i don't handle money and figures well, i do believe that our country can be a better place if money was spent in more appropriate areas.
i don't know everything there is to know but there are certain issues that matter to me more than others and i think it's ok to vote based on those. i personally don't care too much about military defence, trade, political reform, or even taxes, but the issues regarding education, child-care, the arts, and the environment are those that i want a say on. some people only vote based on one thing...like how i feel the church encourages us to vote solely based on how parties view the same-sex marriage issue. i might get in trouble for saying this, but i don't feel that it should have any more weight than any other issue discussed. i don't even feel like it's as important as some of the other thinge being discussed. there's something that doesn't quite jive in me when church leaders encourage us to vote but they only seem to tell us the significance of this one same-sex marriage issue because it directly goes against what it says in the bible. reality check: take a look around. nothing in our secular society is how God meant things to be. it's great that we're encouraged to go on whatever rallies to fight against the same-sex marriage deal, but why aren't we encouraged to get involved with other issues like tuition fees, firearm laws, childcare programs, or support for seniors? the church encourages us to vote, but i think it can also do it's part in helping young people to be informed with other issues in our government so we can have a wider, more balanced worldview. i think the political parties don't do enough to engage youth in matters of the government too but i think most of us are old enough to do their research.
for me, i'm glad to read about how elementary schools and highschools are participating in programs where they get to do mock elections (because they're not old enough to legally vote) after learning about the real issues, leaders, and parties. it's amazing reading about kids being passionate about politics and understanding that they have the potential to change the future of our country if they're committed to being educated. that's incredible. it's so simple. i wish that people could have instilled that in me when i was younger so i wouldn't be scrambling to understand everything now. but it's never too late. so i encourage you to do what you can in making an informed decision this coming election. talk to people about it. parents are great for this kind of stuff. read the newspaper. watch the news or read about it online. excercise your voice as a citizen. believe that your vote matters. believe that you can make a difference.
some things that can hopefully help you (you can click on the images):
this is a side by side comparison of the issues and each party's stance on them from the
globe and mail.
this is an interactive page from
cbc that's similar to the one above but you click on each issue and it'll say what each party thinks. sort of side by side, but just one issue at a time.
i thought this was pretty cool. and fun too. you choose the parties you want to consider and it'll take you through 12 issues each party is addressing. it'll give you each party's stance on the issue without telling you who said what, so you click on agree or disagree based on what has been said about the issue. at the end, i'll tell you which party you most agree and disagree with, as well as what you've chosen not to agree or disagree with. the results page will take you to links that will help you to understand each issue more indepthly.
i really appreciate how some tv programs geared towards youth are covering the election and helping young people get involved so this is definitely worth checking out. and the fact that it's under the "big deal"on their main page is awesome.
and lastly, this you must do:
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. -1 tim 2:1-4 election day: january 23, 2006
