Care

This is a word we've commented lots about at various times. In fact, when I did a search for the word care I got eighty hits! Eighty times we've had something to say about the notion of caring. And yet, this morning, I believe I'm thinking of it in a slightly different way. Maybe--maybe not. You decide.

I continue to hear a phrase that makes me, personally, very uncomfortable. It has even come to be part of the polling question that is asked and then that is reported upon. Bigger than the event itself is the element of just how little most people care about Canada's current election. I've managed to postpone even telling you what I'm writing about in order to perhaps hold your attention for a couple of paragraphs.

It was the "man on the street" question in my local newspaper this week. Four out of five people asked felt not a bit of shame to answer the question: No I don't care at all about this election.

If asked to say more, the most common explanations are versions of "it's too expensive" or "nothing will change" or "they're all crooks anyway."

Are the issues so remote that we really aren't concerned at all?

I do agree that there are things to be done about many of the things we do care about, and I'm sure hoping that we who claim to be concerned about our neighbours, our communities, the bruised and broken-hearted are finding concrete ways to help them. I wish that we of the "peace, reconciliation and healing the spirit" vision have found ways to encourage policies and priorities that promote those things as far and as widely as possible.

It seems to me, again this is my personal opinion, that many of the laws and practices of my government have an impact on those very things. If we who live in a democracy that people around the world are dying to acquire, it seems to me that the least we can do is at least care that the one we have works as well as it could.

If you're someone who has said about your vote, or your obligation to be informed, "I don't care" then I'd like to call on you to reconsider.

Posted by Marion