Voter Apathy

Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself,
and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch
out your hands, and another will dress you, and carry you where you
don't want to go."

It's a very old warning to those who don't want to think beyond the
moment or consider the long term effects of social behaviour and
responsibility. Voting and government being one such responsibility.

If we do not demand the establishment of values and ethical standards
as the foundation of our governance, governing will become more about
effecting change or prohibiting any change and will be defined by the
trend of the moment. Change for the sake of change. We will have lost
effective governance to momentary fashion. It has well come to that
condition now with many voters admitting to habits of following media
provocation and voting the current government out of office not voting
government into office.

Spoiling votes or "No" votes should be taken seriously by the political
party's and not brushed aside as lazy voter turnout.
As an example; a party receiving 36% of 60% of the eligible votes may be
able to form a majority government but, 40% of the eligible votes were
with held from that election. Writing that off as lazy voter turn out
skirts the broader issue that political party's in every major democratic
nation do not want to face today.

In my opinion that is a large disconnect between what many of the voters
want and no party is addressing. Actual responsible inclusive governing
once the election has past. Not the continual partisan step in the way
denouncements that stifle every level of government from getting on with
the job at hand.

like spoilt children those who didn't get their way now expend their
energy making damn sure the winning party accomplishes very little so they
can stand before the media with a backhanded "I told you so's" and develop
their "new" running platform for the next election. In the mean time,
4 years give or take depending on the nation, the country hardly progresses
beyond the past 4 years, never mind which party governed, there is no change.
We have ended up with "the blame game" and are forever told of the
privilege or right that is ours to reelect the same ineffectual method of
governing.

Once past the election, party politics should be restrained and the incumbent
party allowed to get on with instituting the policies he or she was elected
on and responsible for living up to.

In my opinion bringing this about would instill in the voter a reinvigorated
respect for the value of every voters personal ballot. And cities, municipalities,
regions, states, provinces, and countries would benefit from a government
elected by the people for the people and then be better able to move forward
in order to accomplish those goals.

In the morning gather thyself to purpose,
in the evening discuss the manner,
that thou hast been this day,
in word, work, and thought.

Trans-parere
April 4, 2007