Life Is Not Purgatory
Sunday, March 28, 2004
O' Canada
My country is far from perfect. Our political leaders (Progressive Conservative and Liberal) have consistently abused the public purse to the benefit of their political parties. Those same leaders abuse the appointment system by appointing party faithful to high-paying positions to at as Ambassadors, Senators, Immigration Judges, and Crown Corporation Executives. However our leaders also fear us, the electorate, as they know that they can only exploit us so far, before it becomes too far. I believe the Liberals will be hurt at the polls this year, not routed as the PC's were in 1993, but likely a minority government - a prospect which is good for democracy, if stressful for the Prime Minster. It is my hope that a competent Governor-General is appointed that can handle the demands of an unstable Parliament.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada has issued an appeal to lower the voting age in Canada to 16. I think it’s a marvelous idea. At sixteen, those would-be voters are still likely in high school and there would be no better venue to discuss the political process of voting than in Social Studies, where part of the curriculum could be examining the various candidates, perhaps even inviting them to speak to these voters. Polling stations are traditionally located in school gymnasiums… it's not like they have far to go to vote. With youth voter (under age 25) participation backsliding to a measly 22%, encouragement of this level may just force some youthful vitality into our aging political system. If it skews the voting record because of a more youthful view on life, perhaps it will force older, jaded-voters back to the polls to prevent a takeover by the young.
In China, weblogs like mine - hosted on free-sites like blogger - are being blocked on the orders of the Central Government, sparking protests throughout the country and a furor across the 'net.
In the United States, a constitutional amendment is underway to prohibit marriages between gays and lesbians. In a nation which prides itself on 'strong democratic tradition', the effort to undermine equality rights should be met with abject horror, not support… but this is the nation that passed the USA Patriot Act.
My country is far from perfect… but it is mine.
My country is far from perfect. Our political leaders (Progressive Conservative and Liberal) have consistently abused the public purse to the benefit of their political parties. Those same leaders abuse the appointment system by appointing party faithful to high-paying positions to at as Ambassadors, Senators, Immigration Judges, and Crown Corporation Executives. However our leaders also fear us, the electorate, as they know that they can only exploit us so far, before it becomes too far. I believe the Liberals will be hurt at the polls this year, not routed as the PC's were in 1993, but likely a minority government - a prospect which is good for democracy, if stressful for the Prime Minster. It is my hope that a competent Governor-General is appointed that can handle the demands of an unstable Parliament.
The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada has issued an appeal to lower the voting age in Canada to 16. I think it’s a marvelous idea. At sixteen, those would-be voters are still likely in high school and there would be no better venue to discuss the political process of voting than in Social Studies, where part of the curriculum could be examining the various candidates, perhaps even inviting them to speak to these voters. Polling stations are traditionally located in school gymnasiums… it's not like they have far to go to vote. With youth voter (under age 25) participation backsliding to a measly 22%, encouragement of this level may just force some youthful vitality into our aging political system. If it skews the voting record because of a more youthful view on life, perhaps it will force older, jaded-voters back to the polls to prevent a takeover by the young.
In China, weblogs like mine - hosted on free-sites like blogger - are being blocked on the orders of the Central Government, sparking protests throughout the country and a furor across the 'net.
In the United States, a constitutional amendment is underway to prohibit marriages between gays and lesbians. In a nation which prides itself on 'strong democratic tradition', the effort to undermine equality rights should be met with abject horror, not support… but this is the nation that passed the USA Patriot Act.
My country is far from perfect… but it is mine.
