Democracy Works!

Well, here we go again.

Another election, more shenanigans, more promises, more spin, more attack, fewer real issues tackled, more sarcasm, more voter apathy.

The average voter turnout for federal elections since 1867 has been 71.2%. Since the year 2000, the average has dropped to 61.4%. [Reference: Elections Canada http://bit.ly/eMsAC4 ]

Some among us feel that their vote doesn't matter, that nothing will change, that all politicians are the same, that it is all a bunch of BS, that there are better causes to feel passionate about where they can make a real difference. I feel the same way some days, when I see/hear blatant lies and dirty tricks.

We need to try to understand and appreciate this perspective. We must not preach or force our own views.

What keeps me grounded and truly appreciating our democracy, even with all of its faults is a look around the world.

Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of people in dozens of Middle Eastern and African countries are pouring into the streets, and in some cases giving their lives, to establish democracies. Many of these societies have been ruled by brutal dictators for decades. They are fighting for the very basics in human rights and security.

Meanwhile we find ourselves debating who is or isn’t likeable, who promised to deliver and did or didn’t, who is more trustworthy, etc. Not suggesting for a moment that these are not good things to discuss, any discussion about the alternative is good.

I am suggesting that we have the luxury of debating and openly sharing our views about the details, while millions of people around the world wouldn’t dare.

Democracy is not perfect, but it is better than any other system.

Democracy is ours to work on and improve overtime.

We must use it, or risk losing it.

Democracy works!

Check out which party your opinions seem to line up with:
http://federal.votecompass.ca/page/1/#top


Please exercise your right to vote and bring a friend on May 2, 2011.


**** Update ****

Thinks are looking very different all of a sudden:

- Advance poll turnout largest ever.
- Student Vote Mobs in virtually every university in the country.
- NDP heading for 2nd place ??? Including in Quebec. Wow !
- Who ever wins this is very good for Canadian democracy

**** Update ****

Well, you know the story by now.
Not sure if anyone would have predicted this.
But ! The people have spoken.

Mother-in-law

Mother-in-law

Thanks to Hollywood, the term mother-in-law brings up some stereo typical images of meddling interfering opinionated middle aged woman.

My experience has been very different.

I first met Margaret McGonnell, who would become my future mother-in-law when I was 17 years old. Yes, that’s right 17.

My early memories of Mrs. McGonnell (AKA Mernie, later AKA Nanny) included her amazing cooking, sense of humour, intelligence. and strong opinions on things that really mattered to her.

I spent a lot of time at the McGonnell’s and enjoyed Mernie's great meals.

As a shy, slim, relatively fit 17 year old [Yes, that’s right shy, slim and fit'ish] Mernie seem to always insist I was well fed. I could sense her keeping an eye on me as I ate. When I finished what was on my plate, she was right there with more insisting I needed to “finish it off, it would only go to waste, etc, etc”.

I will always remember,

- the words she said to me the day Janice and I got married
- how quickly she came to help out for a few weeks when our three children were born
- how she made a cake at the kitchen table with a couple of kids standing with make shift aprons helping out
- how she and my 2 year old son marched around the house banging pots with wooden spoons in some kind of parade
- how genuinely interested and proud she was of everything that was happening with our family, and how I would hear the tiniest details replayed back from other family members months later
- how she had so many great friends and how much fun they always seem to have. It was cool to hear much later how she was often the life of the party
- while she never once said anything to me, how sad she must have been when we move too far away for her to see her grandchildren on a regular basis
- when she and Roy drove all the way from PEI to Ontario in the middle of the winter to visit us, and brought us a 50lb bag of PEI potatoes :)
- how our birthdays were only a few days apart and she always reached out to remind me that all the special people were born in November
- how later in life, even when she was not well, she never lost her spunk and drive to make things better for people

Mernie passed away just about two weeks ago now. It was amazing for me and our children to hear stories of how she touched peoples’ lives in all different ways.

While it was not that obvious to me then, I now realize how privileged I was to have a mother-in-law like Mernie.

Rest in peace.

Your son-in-law