I was asked, very earnestly, on social media whether voting is a good idea or not, and whether it will truly change something.
Yes, obviously it will.
There is no such thing as a perfect leader, there is no such thing as a perfect solution. In no occasion and under no circumstance will we ever see a perfect, utopian leader or social system that we all dream of seeing one day. And that’s okay!
Instead, voting becomes a practical way of exercising our rights. We seem to be focused on who is the “least bad” of all options, but in federal elections, only around 60 per cent of people are showing up to vote. But imagine a system where everyone showed up to vote, and where we had a better representation in government (a discussion for a different video would be proportional representation.)
Those who are choosing not to vote are ignoring fundamental right they have in Canada, and are, through their actions, saying that they don’t care about the direction of a city. The importance of protesting is obvious, the importance of direct action is apparent, but a singular approach will not work, especially within an entrenched system like Canada.
Instead, we have to have every approach simultaneously. We need to vote and participate in our elections, but then simultaneously we need to be seeing direct action and calling out public office. We need journalism, and we need activism. Without a dynamic, fluid, multi pronged society, there will be no change– and voting is a mandatory part of that within our society.
