My conscience demands it

A letter cc-ed from a resident, reproduced with permission:

Mr. Lang,

Thank-you for meeting with me the other night – I appreciate the demands on your time.  But – as you and I discussed last week – it is important that all Canadians vote their conscience.

For that reason, I cannot support the Liberals, including any act that could be construed as support, such as supporting a Liberal candidate.

I was appalled to learn that Mr. Dion’s version of support for expanded democracy (i.e., including Elizabeth May in the debates) was so feeble.  True support doesn’t come with conditions.

Worse is the continued contempt for the intelligence of Canadians. Any high school teenager would see through Mr. Dion’s ruse (“I’d like to see you at the party and I’d invite you.  In fact, the majority of the high school wants you to be there, too.  But the captain of the football team and the head cheerleader say they won’t come if you’re invited.  I know we can still have a party without them as long as I show up, but if they don’t come, then I’m sorry, I won’t be there either.”).  How can Mr. Dion claim to be a leader when acting like a follower?  Or was Mr. Dion’s purported support no more than lip service – support he was pretty confident he’d never have to make good on?

We know our electoral system with all its trappings is imperfect – perhaps even flawed.  So I ask:  How can any of us condone and support the use of a flawed system to perpetuate itself?  It seems rather apparent that the rulebook needs a good review.  So many Canadians are already challenging the status quo (if only by “boycotting” our elections).  And I suspect, if asked a clear question (sound familiar?), all Canadians would agree that a level playing field – even for the rookies – is only fair.  So before we get to down to issues and platforms, some of us need to start campaigning and voting for a better democracy.

As such, for the first time in my voting life, I won’t be deciding between Liberal or NDP.  I will be voting Green.

And for the first time ever I will be volunteering for a political party – the Green Party.

My conscience demands it.

I wonder how many other Canadians are feeling the tug of their consciences.

Tammara