Re: " System doesn't encourage young people to vote," Sept. 22, and "Voting system change needed," Sept. 23.
It is disturbing to see two letter-writers attempting to justify not exercising the right to vote. Voting is the single most powerful tool to elect leaders who will heal and transform this planet. Many have died on the battlefield for that privilege and many more would be happy to do so.
If every person in this country had actually voted in the last federal election, we would not have a prime minister in Ottawa who is dismantling social programs, desecrating scientific research and embracing dirty oil at the expense of our pristine West Coast.
Debating one voting system versus another is a red herring. It diverts attention from the real problem: non-voters who are handing our country over to people who are the least qualified to run it.
Unfortunately, the people who are the most negatively affected by government policies are the least likely to vote. We need to engage them, not discourage them from making a difference. Every vote will count only when voting is mandatory under law. When everybody votes, it levels the playing field, ensuring that all eligible citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives.
Doreen Marion Gee
Victoria
