Should I vote in the local election

I am having difficulty persuading my son to vote today in the local council elections.

I believe it is the duty of every eligible citizen in a democracy to cast their vote and have their input on the way we are governed, after all people died to preserve our right to free and fair elections. I even heard today a women telling her daughter that ‘she needs to vote because years ago some women chained themselves to railings in order to enjoy equal voting rights as their male counterparts’.

These are all very honourable and noble reasons to vote and we should never forget the sacrifices of those who have come before us and indeed we should consider the plight of many people throughout the world who do not enjoy this basic freedom. We should also consider the consequences of blindly following the apathetic crowd who are indifferent to what their elected politicians are up to or, as in the case of Zimbabwe, bullied and harrassed into accepting an obviously stolen election.

We have a duty to vote, however there is a much more important duty placed upon our elected politicians to carry out their duies with honour, care. integrity and honesty. They need to realise that they have been elected to make a difference for all of us, not just to improve and enrich their own lives.

The news is filled with stories of political sleaze, corruption, low moral standards and politicians are increasingly reported as being indifferent to protecting the public purse. The joke that asks ‘how can you tell if a politician is lying ? which is answered with ‘his/her lips are moving’ hits a chord among the people. Where are the next generation of great political orators and activists who will make a positive and constructive difference in the world today? Those who abuse power are equally guilty of dishonouring the memory and sacrifice of those who have laid down their lives for our freedom.

No wonder my son is indifferent to politics and politicians, he feels he has no power or influence, and that his failure to vote will not matter. I can understand his concerns and maybe the calibre of those seeking office is far too low for his liking or that it is becoming obviuos that they are only there for self-serving needs.

But apathy is dangerous. If you don’t like your local councillor, vote them out. If you don’t like something change it! Take action, speak-up, do something, because failure to act now will have terrible consequences in years to come, just ask the people of the USA who failed to turn out and ended up again with George Bush.

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