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Democracy being neglected

Summerland resident calls out those who did not vote in provincial election.

I understand that 52 per cent of eligible voters actually managed to vote in the recent provincial election. Fifty-two per cent — how low can we get?

No party can be happy with this figure as it indicates an abandonment of the basic responsibility of everyone in a democratic country ie: the necessity of voting in every election.

Democracy didn’t just happen. I was arrived at over long years of bitter struggle, of finally proclaiming that every citizen has an equal voice with every other person, ie: one vote each. The tired old excuse, “no time, don’t know the issues, they’re all the same, my vote doesn’t matter,” are each and every one, a cop out.

So it’s past time to adopt the Australian system of compulsory vote by a fine for all qualified voters who do not bother to vote, perhaps that would awaken people.

One thing is certain, Canada cannot be allowed to back slide into a pseudo-democracy,  aka a dictatorship, but that is happening now. Please be ready to explain to veterans (and others) why you could not/would not/did not vote.

Sheila White

Summerland