One Vote Short

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History was made in Manitoba Province in last year's provincial election. Wab Kinew, leader of the NDP Party, became the first indigenous premier of a Canadian province (there are 10). 

"They took your dad away."

The knock on the door at dawn happens in countries where citizens don't vote. Everybody knows who 'they' are. Therefore, it's sad when some Americans and Canadians proudly say they don't vote.

We must vote. It’s imperative we vote although issues are clouded because the government hides many things from us. We don’t know where to turn. On the left is the leopard with those beautiful spots, on the right is the cobra. But we must still vote, because not doing so will result in new creatures more dangerous than those two.

Disillusioned. I don’t have facts and figures and no inclination to research voting stats, but I’ll be interested if they are presented to me. Canada. How many eligible voters voted in the last four federal elections? America. Did they vote more or less, in the last four presidential elections, excluding 2020?

What’s the point? Canadians and Americans who have never lived in other countries do not know how fortunate they are. They not only vote, but have a choice as well. They can vote for the purple party in provincial elections and the brown party in elections to choose the Canadian Prime Minister. Same in the U.S. You don’t like the pink party, but you think the candidate for governor is a likeable fellow, so you vote pink. The U.S. presidential election is in 2024, so you can vote for any color on the flag.

We need to vote even if it meets changing allegiances. It hurt me when I did recently, but I had to because my usual party did a complete flip on principles that attracted me. It’s better than not voting at all. We must vote because our back-up is not happening.

Young people are the back-up but they are not interested in anything that doesn’t produce a million views online. Their loss. Our voting mistakes will land them in deep trouble, dropping bombs on those same followers or being captured by enemy forces. Why are they the enemy? You didn’t vote, so shut up and eat the porridge in the detention camp.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger

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