We Stand on Guard for Thee

All across the country we sing, "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!” Some stand for our country by joining the armed forces, some by volunteering, others by being public servants however everyone can stand on guard for Canada on May 2^nd by going out and voting.

Aboriginal rights • Affordable housing • Arctic sovereignty • Arts • Budget cuts • Climate change • Child care • Crime prevention • Education • Environmental protection • Foreign aid • Green jobs • Gun control • Health care • Homelessness • Immigration • Infrastructure spending • Interest rates • LGTB equality • Mental health • Mortgages • National debt • National defence • National parks • Pensions • Public education • Public education • Quebec sovereignty • Tar sands • Tax cuts • Tuition fees • Unemployment •  Voter reform • Women’s rights

There are so many issues to list that affect every single Canadian, yet every day, Canadians everywhere say, “I don’t vote.  I have no interest in politics.” Voting isn’t about expressing an interest in politics.  Voting is about standing up for the issues that matter to you.   Some people tell me they don't vote because they don't know anything about the candidates in their riding, or the leaders of the parties.  In this age of instant access to information, this is a paltry excuse, at best.  You are reading this blog, so you already know how to use the internet machine.  Go to Wikipedia and search for "federal ridings Canada".  Click on the very first result.  You've probably seen signs around your neighbourhood encouraging you to vote for candidate X, Y or Z so you likely know what riding you're in. Click on your riding and they will lead you to the names of the candidates in your riding.  If you're lucky, the candidates will have a wiki page.  If you're really lucky, it'll be more than a stump article.  If the candidate doesn't have a wiki page - that should tell you something, first of all - copy and paste their name into Google.  Take twenty minutes that you would have spent on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube and find out something about the candidates.  If you don't know the name of your riding, go to www.elections.ca and enter your postal code.  It will tell you what your riding is.  Then repeat the wiki steps.

There is an issue that means something.  There has to be.  Fight for the issue that's important to you.  Take the issue that means something to you, put that into Google, along with the name of the candidate or party that interests you.

Global perception of Canada has dropped. Voter turnout has dropped along with it.  Social funding has dropped over the years; so has voter turnout.  Pollution has risen; voting has dropped.  Tell me you don’t see the correlation here.  On the other side of the world, people are literally dying for the right to vote. You already have the right... no... the POWER to affect change.  Use that power, and make the change you want to happen, happen.

This video applies more to the American voter, but the point still applies.


PS:  I wanted to keep this non-partisan.  I really did.  But if you really don't want another 5 years of a Harper government, consider making a strategic vote.  Amp your vote and vote for the party in your riding most likely to take down the Conservative candidate.