I'm sure most of you are suffering from the Harper Hangover, as I am. Lasts nights results were appalling. And his vow to move Canada farther to the right was worse. But I, for one, refuse to wallow. We have two choices: we can slink into a stupor along with 39% of our country who refuse to vote, or we can organize and fight back. We cannot let Harper make the changes that he wants to this country that we love. He will make it unrecognizable. And so we fight back. Remember, 60% of those of us who voted did not vote this man into power. We are in the majority. But because our electoral system is broken this man has control of our country for four years.
So what do we do?
.
I can't help thinking of the practice of midwifery, something that is utmost on my mind these days since I'm waiting to here back from their training program at Ryerson. Midwifery was stamped out in Canada. More so than any country in the world, more so than even the United States. It only became legalized in the early nighties. And how did this come about? Grassroots, of course. People, especially women, harassed their MPs. People made phone calls, they wrote letters. The gave money in the tens of thousands to support midwives who were put on trial. They marched.
This is what we on the left need to do. We must march. It is a privilege to be apathetic. It is a privilege not to feel like you have to vote. It is a privilege to remain uninformed, to imagine that what the Canadian government does could not possibly have an effect on you.
We on the left cannot afford that privilege any longer. Women are no longer equal in the eyes of the government. Aboriginals are no longer equal in the eyes of the government. The poor will be trampled on, and that especially includes our children. As far as this government is concerned global warming does not exist. We have no more priveleges in the face of this right wing, big business, secretive, lying, harmful government. We must fight back. We must demonstrate. We must organize on our local levels.
Even Stephen Harper has acknowledged that Canada is not as right leaning as his party. He wants to take out country in that direction. We cannot give him an easy time of it. We cannot wallow in our Harper Hangover. Let's march.
If even Harper realizes that the country is not as far right leaning as his party, how did we find ourselves in this mess?
ReplyDeleteI understand that a scandal with the Liberal parliament before the last election caused many people to vote Conservative out of spite, but what excuse do we have this time? What could have made so many people vote this way again, considering that I have never heard a single positive comment on Harper?
Granted, I roll with a bunch of leftist hippy freaks, but when even the newspaper can't help but comment on his demon eyes, his lack of warmth, charm, or a soul...well, I think something went terribly terribly wrong somewhere? What social disconnect lead to so many people blindly voting for a man they have never really liked?
Ugh, this is so entirely frustrating.
I think the saddest part is that this was the first time I've ever been able to vote with complete confidence and with commitment; I expected my vote to really count. And while NDP won out in my riding, I still feel a sour taste every time I think on politics again, just like in high school. What more can I do if the very basic civic duty of voting isn't enough to make my voice heard?
Bah. Humbug.
I'm moving to Papua New Guinea. (Jokes, I swear. I'm not going anywhere)