Once again, campaign signs are popping up on lawns and along
highways. Between municipal, provincial, and federal elections it feels as
though one barely ends when another begins.
As if we didn’t have enough elections of our own, Canadians
also closely follow U.S.
campaigns. No wonder it seems like we never get a break.
In Alberta ,
candidates are currently asking us to put our confidence in them. They smile
and wave and knock on doors and try to convince us that they will represent us
well.
I’m always conflicted as to whether I should vote for the
party I favor even if I don’t like the local candidate, or vote for the
candidate I feel a connection to if I don’t like the party they represent.
I wish we could do away with political parties altogether. Politicians
could act as educators – explaining issues and options. Online referendums
could be used to regularly poll citizens to find out what “the voice of the
people” actually is, and a few elected representatives could work together to put
those results into practice. I’m sure that would cost less than private jets
and committees all the other nonsense we pay for.
Sometimes I wonder if it matters who I vote for since it
seems like once elected, they just do their own thing or whatever their party
tells them to do.
But my conscience won’t let me avoid the polls. As a citizen
of a democracy it is my right and duty to both speak up and vote. So here we go again – bring on the campaigns.
