I have been looking forward today.
I know. You don’t have to remind me that it is Monday. You don’t have to tell me that I have to wake up to a 6:30 am alarm clock (if the baby doesn’t wake me up first – which he did), rush around trying to get myself and my son ready for the day, and be out the door before I even have a chance to grab my morning coffee. I am aware.
But, it is election day in Canada. And despite not being a political junky, I really do love the thrill of an election. I love when the months of speculation, the weeks of running, and the ballot marked X finally coalesces into one night of pure suspense. Tonight.
I am simply giddy.
But I am also frustrated. I am frustrated with people who sit back and decide not to vote; who decide that being in a democracy is something to take for granted. Especially young people – people my age and younger. But I won’t get into that. There have been some great arguments against not voting, and I feel as though I have nothing to add. (Please click on the two links listed – especially if you still have not voted.)
There is one argument against voting that really hurts my heart: that one vote doesn’t matter. First of all, this is a straight-up lie (see links above). But beyond that, as a mother, I am saddened at a different level by this mentality.
I never want my Cameron to feel like just one person in 944,251; like 1 in 34,437,000; like 1 in 6,775,235,700. I never want him to feel like his voice doesn’t matter – like he doesn’t matter. Because he does matter and his life is so important.
One vote is just a single opinion of one person. It is thrown into the pool of votes like a drop in an ocean. But it is counted. It is listened to. And voters are catered to.
As a parent, I hope to instill a passion for voting in my children. We will talk about it – about the elections and the candidates and the platforms. I hope my children will love being in a democracy come election time. And I hope my children never feel like their vote doesn’t matter.
It matters. You matter.
