This letter is to ask people to vote in our federal election. To answer folks—even smart folks—like my niece in Princeton, who say “Why vote? It only encourages them.” It took us ordinary people a lot of centuries to get to select our leaders—this ain’t to be sneezed at, and in some countries it cost many lives. For every self-seeking Donald Trump, there is a John Kennedy or an Abe Lincoln, and we here have our Sir Wilfred Laurier, Tommy Douglas and honest John Diefenbaker. They aren’t perfect but they try. So make the effort, eh!
We need some improvements like an elected senate (if we need a Senate at all). I think they are useful if given a term, like say two terms of parliament = one term of senate. The U.S. has two senators per state like California and Rhode Island each send two senators to Washington.
Our provinces and territories are bigger so maybe we need three per, and a referendum on whether we have a senate at all.
Sober second thought does sound good. The other thing is that when there are more than two candidates for a seat then we need a second vote about a week, not more than two weeks, after the first vote. Like the lady who wrote “Eat, Pray, Love” we should “Think, Pray, Vote.” Ask the Almighty in Jesus Christ’s name to give us decent, caring MPs.
Glen Allison
Valemount, BC
