A local councillor has resigned and the vote is for a replacement.
As usual, the community centre/polling station was empty. no queue of eager voters champing at the bit as they waited for their opportunity to have their say.
One of the chaps outside commented that I always vote and seemed surprised at the fact.
I replied that the vote for women was hard won and should be valued.
Though I have often mentioned before that I was brought up on a diet of politics and was aware that women came by their right to vote after long fierce battles, I was not really sure of the date when we were 'permitted' that right.
My mother who was born in 1905 would have waited 23 years before she had that right. Only women over 21 and who were house-holders being allowed to vote in 1918.
Just how many women that would have applied to in those days i cannot imagine, but it must have been precious few.
Living as I do in a county where the Tory vote is supreme, around 33,000 last time, and Labour only having about 17,000, I am aware that in a general election my left-wing vote would be wasted so i therefore vote with my heart and vote green.
A local election however, is a different kettle of fish entirely, and there is always a chance (slim I'll grant) but a chance, that 'my' candidate might win.
How then, could I not vote?
On the world stage local politics maybe small fry, but for all of us it is the little everyday thing which make up most of our lives.
Perhaps it would take the threat of the vote being tsken away to force people to use it.
Despite the woeful state of political affairs in this country, I am thankful every day that I do not live in a country run by Donald Trump.
Gosh we have so much in common Ray....thank goodness!
ReplyDeleteThe world must be so grateful Jean that there are only two of us:-)
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Ray. When I was (much) younger, I wasn't much of a voter. But I vote every chance I get now. It is not only a privilege but also a responsibility.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Penny, though I must say the results are often far from what I had hoped for.
ReplyDeleteWe will have elections for the church in september. The church of Sweden is resting upon a system of elected people, some from political parties and some not. Together with the bishops gatherings, we have a large crowd of democratically elected people on country level and one group on dioces level and finally groups in every parish. I agree, this is confusing. Even more so because many of these elected have to be introduced to what the christian church actually is. Not all of them have ever been to a sunday mass.....in this election hardly 20% of the members place a vote. But vote you must, I strongly agree, especially when you actually can and are allowed to. It's a privilege, not known everywhere and to everyone but it's getting harder and harder since the political options all sound the same......
DeleteWell that's certainly different Fairtrader. In this country church and state are totally separate from each other.
DeleteNot sure that is necessarily a good thing.
The only thing I am sure about is that the right to vote is a right worth having, and not to use it is to make a mockery of all those who fought so hard to win it.
Choosing the right person to vote for is often almost impossible but we should at least try.
Before we were separated from the state, the government decided on what bishops would have a dioces. The church taxes are collected via the other taxes, but otherwise we rule ourselves. The democratic election system is still there though, that is something we didn't get rid of. The political part, that is. Still, the government and the ruling political system hold many of the decisions taken when the great annual meetings take place. The agenda seem very similar when the discussions are brought up. Well, the issue of voting is another, offcourse we must vote!!
DeleteI heartily agree with all your comments and applaud your decision to vote with the heart, though I know in certain circumstances we have to be a bit more savvy.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit of a fine line sometimes between what is and what we would like things to be. but voting with one's conscience can never be wrong surely.
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