Letter as submitted

I was extremely discouraged by Mimi Szeto's column "And they wonder why we don't vote" in last Friday's Scarborough Mirror. What are we to make of a viewpoint that reduces the electorate to consumers of political campaigns?

It's the electorate who are responsible for selecting the candidates and the government they want. Candidates have no direct interest in getting people, other than their own supporters, out to vote. Unfortunately, if a party can convince a block of unsympathetic voters that there is no point in voting, that's pretty much the same as convincing a block of potential supporters of the necessity of voting.

Recent governments have done a lot to encourage voter apathy by changing the political process so that it no longer serves our citizens. We've seen our political leaders in bed with transnational corporations, brokering deals that reduce our ability to make decisions that benefit the people. We've seen backroom deals that put quick profits ahead of our needs. We've seen complex issues reduced to "hot buttons". And we've been subjected to multi-candidate elections that are ill served by our "first past the post" voting system. No wonder people of all ages are fed up.

The answer to these problems isn't to abandon our democratic system however. We need to reclaim it. We need to get out and work for candidates who will work for us. We need to push for electoral reform that will allow us to vote for what we believe in, rather than voting against candidates we oppose.

The truth of the matter is, being an informed voter is hard work. There are a lot of issues to deal with. Exciting the voter on the other hand is too often a matter of a slick media campaign. H.L. Mencken is quoted as saying "we get the government we deserve." If we're not willing to put in the effort to find out what we are voting for and who we are electing, there are always candidates around with easy answers to take advantage of our ignorance.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy said "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." The student who asked "what can you do for us" probably didn't realize the enormity of the question. It's certainly not one that can be adequately addressed in the minute or two most debates give you to answer. He or she should have asked "where can I find out more?" She or he should have taken it upon themself to dig for the answers.

In the recent provincial and municipal elections, youth issues were front and centre. Education, tuition fees, job opportunities, minimum wages, transportation, housing, youth programs and the environment were, to various degrees, on everyone's platform. Those elections also saw voters being given the clearest choice in policies and candidates in years. The municipal election showed that your vote can make a difference. Next year we expect to see a federal election where again voters will be given clear choices.

Ms. Szeto wants the candidates to tell the voters why they should vote. To be blunt, there are politicians who are quite happy with a low voter turnout and a passive electorate. The last thing they want is an active, informed and engaged youth demanding to know, in detail, exactly why they should be elected.

Ms. Szeto is obviously a bright and talented writer who has put some effort into finding out why young people don't vote. Unfortunately, she has grown up in a period when our political processes have become dysfunctional. Her remedies are framed by that dysfunction. And her column reinforces the message to youth that it's OK not to vote - it's someone else's fault that you don't care about the election.

I challenge Ms. Szeto to do two things: Firstly, I would like her to write a column telling young people why they should take an interest in the upcoming federal election. Secondly, I want her to research the policies and practices of the various parties and work as a volunteer for the one that best matches her beliefs.

Gary Dale
West Hill, ON