Monday, November 5, 2012,
the eve of the Presidential election
in the United States of America,
a country that is anything but
united.
Years ago, when I first arrived in
Virginia I was talking to a friend
about the Civil War. In her lovely,
soft and southern accent she proclaimed,
"you mean the war between the States?
There was nothing civil about it."
Substitute political parties for States
and my friend could have been talking
about the political campaigns
which will thankfully terminate
tomorrow.
Living in Canada now,
without a television, I have been
spared the political promises from
both camps. Speaking of camps,
I thought they were supposed to be for
the children.
In North America we have the
freedom to vote yet during the 2008
presidential election only 57% chose to
honour this freedom,
about the same percentage which
elected Andrew Jackson in 1828!
Canada's voter turnout in 2011 was not
much better, 61%, down from 73% in 1867.
| Canadians voting overseas, 1917 |
In many countries people walk for miles,
barefoot and probably hungry, sometimes
fearful for their lives, to dip their finger and
ink their precious vote in their shaky democratic
societies.
Last year in France 80% of the people
voted in the Presidential election.
And the winner of the highest voter turnout
And the winner of the highest voter turnout
is the Republic of Malta. 93% of the people
voted in their last election. Perhaps islanders
are a lot more relaxed when it comes to voting.
It is too bad the United States
of America is such a divided
country.
Perhaps we should
leave the camps to kids;
they know that when you
mix red and blue together
you create the beautiful,
deep royal colour of purple,
full of nuances,
a potpourri of potential,
a palette of unending possibilities.
Whether you choose to ink
in red or blue,
just choose to use it,
your vote.
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