The Day After...

by - Tuesday, May 03, 2011

I have many posts in mind about the election, and I'll try and get to them all eventually, but I'll start with this one.

I've been "un-friended" on Facebook because of my vote in the Canadian election. Apparently I voted for the "war mongering money grubbers" and was wished to die by her because of it.

I thanked her (before she un-friended me) for wishing I was dead and for negating my ability to express my right to vote for the party of my choice, as outlined in Canadian law.

Please remember Facebook and Twitter friends... everyone in Canada has the right to vote for the party/candidate of their choice. Not of "your" choice. That's democracy.

If we all voted "your way", the "correct way"... well, that's basically a form of Communism isn't it?

Instead of wishing death upon those who voted for "their reasons" instead of "your reasons", take the time to get involved, work to hold your elected officials accountable, and don't chastise those that voted for what they believe in, not what you believe in.

Educated discussion is encouraged in my world. I value that I have friends with different beliefs than me, and was friends before the election with them, and will remain friends after.

Ignorance however, is not something that I have room for in my life.

We do live in Canada afterall. And it's our right to vote for who we choose. Just remember to take the time to vote!

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6 Comments

  1. She actually unfriended you over your vote? WOW. I did delete a comment my sister wrote promoting her party on my wall, but if she had wrote it on her own wall go for it. She sent me a very intense message as a result though.

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  2. i hate how people unfriend others for things they say. why bother being friends with someone if you base it on having differing opinions?

    what i hate more is when people announce it "i had to clean up the friend list" annoying.

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  3. Communism is a socio-economical structure that is outside of whether you can vote or not. If everyone voted the same exact way that would still be a 100% democracy, it's just everyone had the same exact opinion and the decision unanimous.

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  4. Jon - while I agree, being told to vote a certain way is different that everyone choosing to vote one way. If we all chose the same, that would be different - but to be shunned and told we are wrong for voting the way we did because the person wanted the vote to go a certain way may not be Communist, but it isn't right. Wrong word, but perhaps a similar background principle?

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  5. Yeah, you don't want to go for Communism here. It isn't related to what you were trying to convey (maybe go more for a false democracy or tyranny, etc). Communism is what they all think they'll end up with in the States if they get universal health care.

    As you know Carmen, I obviously differ with you on the vote. Strongly differ. And I think the main issue I have to point out (because god knows I can't resist any more than you can) is that you suggested that people "get involved and hold elected officials accountable" - but the party you voted for was told to be accountable and they broke the law. I'm not meaning some mamby-pamby double talk that people engage in when elections come around. I mean that the basic way our government functions was not followed, they were told to comply - they were legally required to comply - and they did not.

    So many of us *have* demanded that this group of people be accountable to the foundation of how our government works and they refused. That was why, for the first time ever, a ruling party was found in contempt of government.

    Before the election.

    So despite all the other issues: gay rights, women's rights, immigrants' rights - I cannot understand a vote for this party at a very basic level of respecting our system of governance and the laws by which we have agreed to function as elected officials.

    If people voted for this party and they, in turn, work within the agreed laws to strip gay rights, immigration defense funds, hack away at health care, give further corporate tax cuts -- I'll gripe, but that is what we signed up for. But when they refuse to work within the laws, when they act like they don't need to follow law - that is where real fear lives for me. And based on what I know of you, this is where I'd suspect you might question the meaning of true democracy. Breaking the law to get your way is not democracy. It is tyranny, it is the facist regimes and the communist underpinnings you want to avoid. That is where this passion comes from, in my opinion.

    And lord knows you have gotten used to my opinion ;)

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  6. Please pretend I spelled fascist right. kthankbai.

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