As far as election coverage goes, I think we’ve outdone ourselves — at least in terms of quantity. But don’t expect any campaign stories in today’s paper.
We typically refrain from writing anything political in the last issue before an election. The worry is we could get something wrong (not like that’s ever happened) and we won’t be able to correct it prior to people going to the polls.
OK, that may be assuming a slightly inflated sense of our influence, still...
That said, it’s hard to quit cold turkey. So, let me tell you about my crazy, busy week moderating candidate meetings three evenings in a row.
It was great.
There’s much I love about my job, but for an extrovert I spend way too much time holed up in my office.
It was inspiring to be out among people who are invested in the community, who show up, listen to and challenge the candidates in a bid to ensure they make an informed decision.
I also take my hat off to the candidates. It’s no small thing to put your name forward, knock on doors, shake innumerable hands and be informed on a host of issues — not to mention, take heat for what you or your party has done, or proposes to do.
I realize the majority of eligible voters probably don’t even know who the candidates are in their ridings. Many vote for the party, or perhaps the leader; given our electoral system, I understand why. But that doesn’t excuse anyone from simply opting out. And I don’t just mean opting out of voting, but opting out of taking some degree of responsibility for the community we’re creating.
We’re in this together, as noted by my favourite philosopher, Dr. Seuss. In Horton Hears a Who, a very small shirker fails to do his part, putting all of Whoville in peril.
What I love about Dr. Seuss is he gets that no idea is too big for the smallest of readers.
Speaking of which, yesterday, I received an email about the Student Vote campaign. With 180,000 elementary and secondary students participating, this will be the largest Student Vote campaign the province has ever held. Every school in Richmond will be involved.
“The Student Vote program ... enables teachers to bring democracy alive in the classroom, and empowers students to experience the voting process firsthand and practise the habits of active and engaged citizenship,” says the press release.
As a mother of teenagers, I know not every kid will be lining up at their pretend polling station eager to cast their vote, but some will. And, at least, let’s start the practice.
Forming habits of “active and engaged citizenship” is the eating vegetables of our democracy’s health.
