Hardly anyone enjoys election time.
Door knockers can be annoying; phone calls and poll questions can be difficult to answer.
But that is not any reason to be rude to those trying to do their jobs.
I am politically active. I have worked in a constituency office. This does not make me perfect. I have my own personal biases.
But I’ve also seen people who seriously want to make a difference in the world. People who have a passion to see positive change and make someone’s life better.
I wanted to make a difference with my candidate profiles so I’ve talked with the candidates in our four different ridings.
Doing this, I’ve heard a lot of stories about what candidates and volunteers go through on the doorstep.
One candidate mentioned at the Sept. 30 forum how he’s been threatened at gunpoint, cursed at, and basically encountered a lot of hostility.
I understand the frustration of people when it comes to politicians but really, any threat of violence is just ignorant.
If someone at any other job was threatened by someone else, what would happen?
We can’t just say that is the hazard of being a politician.
This is what is wrong with the world. New ideas are at war with traditions. New ideas are being met with contempt instead of civilized discussion.
I hear stories all the time about the stereotypical politician; the older, masculine, Wall Street types.
What about the young voice, the female voice, the voices of scientists, the voices of those that see the world differently? Where do those voices belong during election time? These are the people who raise their voices over the sound of violence.
And guess what? Threatening violence on someone who is trying to make the world better just makes you look ignorant - it won’t stop them from doing their job. If it does, they don’t hold their convictions in too high a regard anyway.
Those who answer back with kindness and continue on with their message of a different world should be praised for not crumbling under fear of those who would oppose them.
Why should we fear the different? Why should we be ignorant of the voices of others?
Are we afraid of their failures? No, we are afraid of our own power to choose those who will become representatives of Canada. What if we choose wrong? What if we feel duped within months after the election?
Look at it this way.
If a politician cares strongly about something you can tell. If they are being insincere about something, you can tell that too.
We have a big problem of painting everyone with the same brush. Politicians are no different. Not everyone is a scumbag, not everyone is saint. But there are some that want to make the world a better place.
I’ll tell you another thing about these candidates. They are YOUR neighbours. Does that change as soon as they put on a political label?
They’ve grown up on farms, in small towns, and big cities like Saskatoon and Regina. They know what Saskatchewan is about and that doesn’t change as soon as they start flying the blue, orange, red, or green banners.
This is a historical election. How about making it even more historical by giving people a chance to change the world.
