Voting

[queenofcowichan]

I am realy supportive of each persons right to Vote and have thier own say. I believe it is your right and responsibility to go out and vote.

However, I personally think it is your responsibility to vote for a candidate who you feel is right for the Job. You should not vote for someone just because you need to put a check beside someones name and just hope for the best.

Now It is with deep conviction and with a lot of thought put into it I suggest we add something on the paper when we vote. There should be a new box below the candidates that should read something to the effect of:

I sincerly wish to vote according to my right, However I am unable to vote for non of the above listed candidates.


You see, I am tired of people complaining about how much you should vote because it is your right. But I equally believe one should not vote someone in just to put a mark on a piece of paper, You should vote with a deep conviction. Having this extra box on the voting paper will take away any excuse not to vote, and still allow people the option of not voting for someone they do not like.

What do you think?

[Northern Exploration]

Yeah label it "none of the above are good enough". :x Kind of a protest vote in a way. Very interesting -- I would like to think about it more before saying much more other than my smart@ss statement.

[Political Incorrectness]

Welcome to the apathetic generation, the ones who are giving up hope of restoration of founding principles. Seriously, this is not just a rights issue, this is an issue of making decisions good and bad. Why do people care more about social life and doing there own things versus coming together for a basic cause? Why do people say stuff yet not do anything? Why are we so afraid to speak out and not be willing to be somebody else? I see that too much where people are apart of the crowd, some more than others to where they have the same fashion and hairstyles of everyone where as at another place, everyone is different in there own way to where many don't care. At my high school, dress to us doesn't matter to us much. Where as our rivals (for those of you who do not know, Central Kitsap has 2 big high schools) their grade 10 class is completely materialistic, where everyone looks the same. Whatever happened to uniqueness? Whatever happened to standing up for your own beliefs? That is what really needs to be asked, what can be done to reverse the trend where people believe they can stand for a common cause and not ask about themselves, and ask themselves what they can do for a nation.

[kylefossett]

It is your right to vote. This is right that my grandfather and thousands of other men gave up 6 years of there life for when they signed up and went over to Europe. If they did not stand up for this right and many other rights we would not be allowed to vote, not allowed to socialize with people of other race/religion.
I also feel that if you did not go out to vote then for the length of that government's term in office you have given up your right to complain about them.

[Low Light Mike]

Kyle:

As someone with connections to or in the BC Ferry union, I'm wondering if you see the voting-issue the same way for the Union, as you do for civic/provincial/national government elections.

Are unions similar to governments, where lots of people complain, but only some will actually take the time to research & vote?

Or is there more, or less, voter interest?

[Neil]

'None of the above' sounds kind of sophisticated and rebellious, but more often than not, it's a cop-out by people who just aren't interested in investigating the issues. I think it's also an attitude commonly affected by people who've probably never volunteered any of their own time in bettering the political process, but have lots of time to criticize those who do.

Canada has a reasonably broad political spectrum. Most federal or provincial ridings have a range of, at least, conservative to social democrat, and some are lucky enough to have everything from Communist to Christian conservative. There's a plethora of small parties that run a number of candidates, and those parties have a wide range of views, some actually surprisingly coherent, for those who want to take the time to investigate. Local elections are less party oriented, but again, usually offer a pretty good array of personalities, views, and talents.

I agree with Kyle- if you don't vote, you've got no right to criticize. Sometimes it does happen that all the candidates and party options are unattractive, but usually, if you say you're not voting because of that, it's just a cover for not having paid attention.

If I were American, though, and had to choose always between the Democratic Republican party or the Republican Democratic party, 'none of the above' might seem like a more valid option.

[BreannaF]

I would agree with the "none of the above" sentiment IF there were really a groundswell of feelings that none of the parties could effectively govern, or if all of the parties did not have a viable platform of ideas.

However, I am actually not in favour of such a thing for the following reason: There are really very few people who believe that none of the candidates offer a viable option. most of the people who are not voting are not doing it as a protest. They are not voting because they don't want to bother getting to a poling place on election day. Heck, they don't want to be bothered with finding out when election day is.

If you don't feel the major candidates are effectively representing your point of view, there are three things you can do. One, get involved in the process and help change things to meet your needs. They are probably the needs of others, too. Second, you can support candidates of a minor party (Greens, etc.) or an Independent candidate who represents your feelings. They may not get elected this time, but you are the start of something for the future. Finally, you can go out and change things yourself. Not too convenient, of course. But certainly a way to get your needs met.

So I believe that "nota" is really just a cop-out.

[kylefossett]

flugelhorn said:

Kyle:

As someone with connections to or in the BC Ferry union, I'm wondering if you see the voting-issue the same way for the Union, as you do for civic/provincial/national government elections.

Are unions similar to governments, where lots of people complain, but only some will actually take the time to research & vote?

Or is there more, or less, voter interest?

some of the locals are a little more vocal both in how they vote and how they are before and after elections, route 9.
as with every other place that there is an election you are going to see people not vote because they feel it is a waste of time. these are usually the same people that complain the most about the leadership or the party in power

[Barnacle]

ferrymaniac101 said:

Whatever happened to uniqueness? Whatever happened to standing up for your own beliefs? That is what really needs to be asked, what can be done to reverse the trend where people believe they can stand for a common cause and not ask about themselves, and ask themselves what they can do for a nation.

Dan, if you truly believe in this, then I applaud you for being an exceptionally mature young man. I can look backward (somewhat myopically, of course) at high school and realize now that it was all about fitting in. Don't do anything that might have marked you as "different," or worse yet, "weird." Heaven forbid if you wear something that wasn't in style, or didn't comb your hair in this or that way. (Of course, I went to a high school that was across the street from a mall, so my perceptions may be a little skewed.) That having been said, I must admit that at this point in my life, I'm glad I didn't 'fit in.' I'm doing what I want for a living and am generally happy.

Besides, and Evergreenfleet will probably back me up on this, the hairstyles of our teenage years were probably responsible for a good six percent of the hole in the ozone... ;D

[EGfleet]

barnacle said:

ferrymaniac101 said:

Whatever happened to uniqueness? Whatever happened to standing up for your own beliefs? That is what really needs to be asked, what can be done to reverse the trend where people believe they can stand for a common cause and not ask about themselves, and ask themselves what they can do for a nation.

Dan, if you truly believe in this, then I applaud you for being an exceptionally mature young man. I can look backward (somewhat myopically, of course) at high school and realize now that it was all about fitting in. Don't do anything that might have marked you as "different," or worse yet, "weird." Heaven forbid if you wear something that wasn't in style, or didn't comb your hair in this or that way. (Of course, I went to a high school that was across the street from a mall, so my perceptions may be a little skewed.) That having been said, I must admit that at this point in my life, I'm glad I didn't 'fit in.' I'm doing what I want for a living and am generally happy.

Besides, and Evergreenfleet will probably back me up on this, the hairstyles of our teenage years were probably responsible for a good six percent of the hole in the ozone... ;D

No, no, by the 80's they'd taken that stuff out of hairspray. You'll have to level that at the 60's beehive hair-do. To this day on the Kalakala there is a sign in the women's lounge advising women passengers that the use of hairspray is forbidden on the vessel.

We were in the era of mousse and gel...or, gods help us, the mullet.

[Political Incorrectness]

Evergreenfleet, those days were all good with the hair-do's. You all make me laugh of what the fads used to be and getting some great pictures in my head instead of those pictured on the TV screen. In particular Fixed News but that is another can of worms. It is so sad to see sometimes going in and hearing people chat away about social lives yet complain about how bad they do on tests because when they are given time to study, they do not use it wisely. People seem to care more about having a good time and not let anything worry them since that seems to be the only way to have a good life. Even when they are taught we should be thankful for what we have and what could happen, they just sit there thinking it doesn't matter because the attitude is "the system will work itself out".

PFFT, please, let me see, in modern day times, the President of the United States and the Vice President have most people thinking impeachment yet they do not do anything. Congress does not block funding for war people do not want yet the people do not do anything about it whatsoever.