“I vote (in elections) for the same reason I’d punch a bear that was eating me. I don’t think it would make a big difference to the outcome, but at least that way it wouldn’t look like I want to be eaten by a bear.”
Nick Doody, comedian
I love rugby, which is probably why I run a site on it. But there’s a good chance that you don’t. So of course I respect that.
But while I appreciate that it is as much people’s right not to vote as it is for them to actually do it, I don’t have an awful lot of respect for people who simply throw up their hands and say “why should I vote, sure they’re all corrupt”!!!
Of course I fully understand if you don’t want to discuss “politics”. But despite the impression given by the media, elections are not just about “politics”. They are about government. And this is something that affects all of us.
If we have the time to make ourselves experts in rugby, or soap operas, or X Factor, or stamp collecting, or whatever it is we focus on outside the earning of a crust, we should also have the time to have a decent handle on not only who is representing us in government, but also how they’re doing at it.
As far as I’m concerned, the most important statistic emanating from any democratic election for the government of a sovereign nation is not the tally of votes for the individual candidates – rather it is the percentage of the electorate who actually took the time to cast their vote.
There are three simple steps to voting : 1) make sure you are registered 2) engage in the process of finding out who is up for election and what they stand for, and 3) vote.
If you can pay taxes, if you can understand the rules of a sport, if you can keep up with what’s happening on a TV drama show, well let’s face it if you can put together a coherent sentence you can do all of the above steps.
We don’t talk about government enough at the watercooler. That’s because we’re probably afraid that we can’t do it without discussing politics.
All I’m saying is that if you are eligible to vote in these upcoming elections, please do so, whatever your allegiance. The more people do, the fewer are the places where the corrupt ones can hide. JLP
First Person Plural 