[Curtman]

It's our duty to be informed at vote time
BY HARVINDER SANDHU, SURREY NOW APRIL 1, 2011 10:16 AM

Quote:

Many Canadians are complaining that they have to endure another election - the fourth in seven years.

One would think recent events in the Middle East and North Africa would make us feel grateful that we have this opportunity to express ourselves without going through the killing, maiming or jailing of the citizenry. We get to express our feelings through voting, a right we do not have to fight for.

Now that we have an election coming up, we need to focus on which party is good for the country.

Unfortunately, the decision will be influenced by the advertisements splashed on our TV screens. That is unfortunate as the commercials are not based on facts - in fact, they are deliberately misleading. The commercials have also adopted an agenda of fear. They are designed to make the uninformed scared enough to vote for the wrong party.

I say this as I listen to my 13-year-old tell me Micheal Ignatieff lives in the U.S. He informs me how Ignatieff is actually an American and that he doesn't like Canada. He was also wondering why and how can Canada let Iggy run for office here, if we, Canadians, can't run for the presidency of the U.S.?

He had watched the ads on TV and believed every word. My kid can be forgiven for blatantly believing everything on TV, but I have heard the same sentiments from many adults. There are people who believe all those false ads. Why? Because they haven't bothered to inform themselves of the facts and that is sad.

Rhetoric from "Stephen Harper's Government" wants Canadians to believe the worst about the three opposition parties and their leaders. And to achieve this goal, Harper's government has liberally lied to get its agenda across to millions of duped Canadians.

"Duped?" you ask.

Yes. We are all to be blamed if we don't participate fully in this election. I'm not saying you have to go out there and volunteer. I'm saying everyone should take more than a passing interest in which party is going to run this country for the next few years.

We need to read up on issues in newspapers and research the candidates on the internet. Inform yourself, check out the players, learn about their policies and then, go out and vote.

I want all Canadians to take this amazing power they have and use it. Use it on voting day, go out and cast your ballot.

Fewer than 60 per cent of the eligible electorate voted in the last election. That is a shame. We have rights that we are too lazy or complacent to exercise while on the other side of the world people are willing to die to have these same rights.

[Brenda]

Quote:

One would think recent events in the Middle East and North Africa would make us feel grateful that we have this opportunity to express ourselves without going through the killing, maiming or jailing of the citizenry. We get to express our feelings through voting, a right we do not have to fight for

This should make us feel good or something? Playing the guilt card?
I'm sorry, but we have been there, done that, and now the Middle East wakes up. Not our fault it took them so freaking long.

Just because of this paragraphe, I decided to not read this article any further.

[Curtman]

Brenda wrote:

Quote:

One would think recent events in the Middle East and North Africa would make us feel grateful that we have this opportunity to express ourselves without going through the killing, maiming or jailing of the citizenry. We get to express our feelings through voting, a right we do not have to fight for

This should make us feel good or something? Playing the guilt card?
I'm sorry, but we have been there, done that, and now the Middle East wakes up. Not our fault it took them so freaking long.

Just because of this paragraphe, I decided to not read this article any further.

That's the one I liked the best. Anyone who cares more about a hockey game than an election, should feel guilty.

[Brenda]

Why? Why should I feel guilty about something I have nothing to do with?

[Curtman]

Brenda wrote:

Why? Why should I feel guilty about something I have nothing to do with?

Because you have the right to vote that people who don't, will die fighting for. Because absolute power corrupts absolutely. Because we need to keep an eye on these lying politicians.

Which don't you have anything to do with, the election, or the dictators around the world?

[Brenda]

Curtman wrote:

Brenda wrote:

Why? Why should I feel guilty about something I have nothing to do with?

Because you have the right to vote that people who don't, will die fighting for. Because absolute power corrupts absolutely. Because we need to keep an eye on these lying politicians.

Which don't you have anything to do with, the election, or the dictators around the world?

I think I made my point in my previous post.
I have nothing to do with the backwards attitude the Middle East are finally trying to change. We (as in our forefathers) have been there, done that, that is why we have the right to vote. We fought for that. I refuse to feel guilty that we have that right and they are now finally seeing the light.

[Curtman]

Brenda wrote:

I think I made my point in my previous post.
I have nothing to do with the backwards attitude the Middle East are finally trying to change. We (as in our forefathers) have been there, done that, that is why we have the right to vote. We fought for that. I refuse to feel guilty that we have that right and they are now finally seeing the light.

We fought for that, and now it's not important any more? Other people will vote for us?

I didn't fight for the right to vote anywhere, and I don't know anyone who did. I'd probably fight for the right to keep my vote if I had to. When people just don't care, it bothers me.

[Brenda]

People definitely should care, and vote. If there weren't for the fact that so many people are not informed or not interested, which makes you get whack votes, I would make voting mandatory, maybe put an option like "blank" or "not interested" on the ballot, but at least they GO, see what they have to do and VOTE.

Like I said before, I didn't read the rest of the article, you don't get my attention by playing the guilt card.