Monday Moanings - August 3, 2015

Summertime and the living is...?

It's a holiday Monday! Simcoe Day here in these parts. I've written about this holiday in my blog in previous year. Click Here for the link. Around the province other names prevail: Colonel By Day in Ottawa, Joseph Brant Day in Burlington and Benjamin Vaughan Day in the City of Vaughan. And around the country still other names head up this first Monday in August: Regatta Day in Newfoundland, Natal Day in Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick Day in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan, Heritage Day in Alberta, and British Columbia Day in, you guessed it, British Columbia.

A rose by any other name... it seems. Whatever it's called, the bottom line here is that most Canadians get a mid-summer long holiday weekend to revel in the all too short pleasures of summer living - boating, water skiing, swimming, bbq's, beer, baseball, wine spritzers,  lounging in the sunshine and ... electioneering. WHAT?? Where did that come from?






Ah yes the feds chose this weekend to kick off the election campaign. We all knew this was coming. We all knew that October 19 would be Election Day, but most of us including me, hoped we would be spared the hype and hoopla until after Labour Day. But NO, the writ has been drawn up and the party leaders are off and running, subjecting us all to 78 days (the longest campaign since 1872!!) of attack ads, empty promises and political rhetoric, none of it particularly good.















Here's my strategy: I will PVR the shows I want to watch, then fast forward through all the commercials thereby skipping the attack ads. I will be live streaming much more TV for the same reason as well as relying heavily on Netflix® for my viewing entertainment. I will tune into the first debate this Thursday, but will tune out if it proves too superficial or is allowed to degrade into a personality contest. I will watch Peter Mansbridge and the 'At Issue' panel on The National (CBC) every Thursday night for balanced, well thought out analysis.

The key issues for me are: the economy, the environment and health care, particularly for seniors. I cannot be bought, bullied (no, there is not a terrorist under every Canadian bed!) or conned. I know without a doubt that I will not be voting for the current leader and party in power. I have a pretty good but not entirely unshakable handle on who will garner my vote, but under no circumstances will I have a lawn sign on my yard. I firmly believe that the secrecy of the ballot box is a hallmark of democracy - thanks Dad! - and my vote is my business and mine alone.

Democracy - that's really what it's all about on this Simcoe Day. Regardless of how one feels about the current government, this elongated election campaign, or any of the other political leaders and parties, regardless of how cynical one may have become about government, we have the vote. It is our duty and our responsibility as citizens to exercise that immense privilege.

Happy Holiday Monday!

©2015 April Hoeller