Well, Canada, it’s time to decide.
In just a hair over a month, we are headed to the polls once again as we find ourselves in federal election season.
And we all know what that means, right?
It means what I think is right and what you think is wrong. What my party of choice is going to do for Canada is FAR better than what your party of choice is going to do for Canada.
That’s the gist of it, really. At least as far as the internet is concerned.
When it’s election season, you can bet your bottom dollar that social media is going to become even more of a toxic mud hole than it normally is as people on all sides of all political fences begin to square off. It all comes off rather childish and immature, and to me, here’s what every political argument on social media sounds like:
"MY PARTY SAYS THEY'RE GONNA DO THINGS IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY TO ACHIEVE THE SAME GOALS WE ALL HAVE FOR CANADA IN THE END ANYWAY!"
That’s not my style. You see, I’m what you call the ‘fence rider’. I’m the Canadian citizen who holds no allegiance to any political party, and I dare to look at all the parties, their leaders and candidates objectively and with no bias.
Hmmm, I like what *this* party’s goals are and what *this* candidate says. Oh, but here’s another important goal by this *other* party. Wait, what did *that* candidate say about doing more for Canada’s veterans?
People on social media can’t stand people like me, the kind of person who can look at things objectively. On Facebook and Twitter, especially during an election, people seem to almost demand that you pick a side because their insecurities take hold and they want to tear you and your beliefs down to make themselves feel superior. These types of people can’t stand it when someone has unbiased views or chooses to look at the issues from both sides of the fence.
Instead, the attitude from far too many is, "Ugh, just tell me what your politics are so I know if I hate you!!!"
We as Canadians need to do a lot better in this department over the next few weeks before we all head to the ballot boxes. With that in mind, I’ve come up with a few things I hope to see on the road to the polls in what I’ll call my ‘Federal Election Wish List’.
I wish for one of the future televised leader debates to address the many issues facing me and my fellow citizens here on the Prairies. Last week’s first debate seemed to exhaust what’s going on in Eastern Canada and out on the West Coast in British Columbia, but apparently, we on the Prairies of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba didn’t make the cut.
I wish for the tired Stephen Harper references to end. For whatever reason, a former Prime Minister is living entirely rent-free in the heads of the Liberals, the NDP and the Green Party. What these candidates fail to remember is that he isn’t the guy they’re running against, and they’re doing themselves a disservice by constantly playing the ‘Harper Card’ when they could be informing would-be voters about their platforms. Canadians see through scare tactics more than politicians believe.
I wish for people to get to know their candidates in their own ridings. My buddy Shawn from Nanaimo made a great point about this on my Facebook page last week. He shared how he personally knows his federal candidate, the Green Party’s Paul Manley. He describes Paul as being engaged with his riding, a fantastic example of what an MLA should be, and Shawn likes what his plans are moving forward. I like that.
I wish for all these ridiculous fear-mongering tactics by separatist groups to take a hike. I see it all the time. “If the election doesn’t go our way, we say break off from the East and become the Western Republic of Canada!” Seriously, this is the kind of immaturity and narrow-mindedness that elections bring about. You’re literally saying that if you don’t get your way, you’re going to pick up your ball and go home. I don’t want to break up our country, and I don’t want to live in some bastardized version of it either.
I wish for people to simply GET OUT AND VOTE! We need to pump up those numbers, man! It’s your right as a living, breathing, Canadian citizen. Do your research. Decide what’s best for you and your loved ones. Vote on the kind of Canada that fits both your needs and your desires. Many people before us didn’t have the right to vote, so it’s your responsibility to exercise that right.
I’m not sure if I’ll get everything I want out of this list, but hey, it’s a ‘wish’ list for a reason.
For this week, that’s been the Ruttle Report.
