Raise the Hammer

...if we are ever to rid ourselves of the scourge of political arrogance that has characterized our elected representatives for far too long, we have to begin by showing that we do care about our country. And the best way to do that is by turning out in huge numbers on election day.

I disagree.

• putting on his Mr. Naysayer outfit...bespoke edition, naturally *

Greater turnout on election days merely means greater turnout on election day. If you believe that getting people to exercise their franchise is the 'ne plus ultra' goal, then I guess this would be a stellar accomplishment. But if people aren't actually putting as much effort into who they're voting for as they do for which car they're preparing to buy or where they're vacationing next or who they're going to date next, then what really has been accomplished? (Yes, I'm against compulsory voting.)

Further, if people regard their 'civic duty' as being taken care of by voting, and don't feel either obligated of motivated to contribute anything more to the process, then is there much to be proud of, period?

Not to pick on sports fans, but if someone has a better handle on their favourite team's stats than they do about either the political process or what's going on in that arena, don't you think we're a little fuckled?

We whine and whinge about how our politicians constantly let us down, how they disappoint us at every turn, we regularly show proof that cynicism runs through our veins as surely as blood. And yet we feel more of an urge to equip ourselves with the latest electronic contrivance than actually stepping up and doing what we should be doing towards our own governance.

The 'answers' are never going to come from someone we elect, from a political party. Maybe that used to work. At some time, somewhere. But that world is gone. Never to be seen again.

It astounds me that people don't seem to grasp that in this incredibly 'me-centric' world we've created, the notion that we're each going to have to get up off our posteriors and begin constructing a better way hasn't really been acknowledged.

Not yet, anyway.

So, returning to the title of this article, I'd re-craft it as 'People who care, vote with an informed decision having been made, roll up their sleeves and participate in their own governance, rather than simply handing everything over to a representative and putting their feet up until the next election.'

Comment edited by mystoneycreek on 2011-05-02 12:25:18