Faith Meets Life: The upside to student political apathy
If everything at Fleming was predictable and calm we'd be less interested in policies and police actions directed towards students who have moved into the neighbourhood. But, with stories about past assaults and current fears of “fires, fines and general fracas” (to quote Jessica Ireland), interest runs high.
People sometimes worry about political apathy in this country. It's usually considered a problem that needs to be corrected. And with Canada possibly facing an election, commentators are again voicing their anxieties. They complain that not enough students have been voting this decade.
The Elections Canada website has research results showing that back in 2000 only 22.4 per cent of 18-20 year-olds voted while over 80 per cent of those over 58 cast ballots. The numbers will be a little different for each election, but the long-term trend is there to see.
But is that trend all bad? There are some places in the world where youth voter interest is no doubt much higher. Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Chile to name a few possible places. In other words, we can expect students to be more interested in public issues, whether issues about Fleming Drive, or about Canada, where there is widespread discontent or anger.
An upside to apathy about Canadian political life is that it is partly an indicator that most people are, well, sort of content. In spite of all the concerns Canadians have, things continue to run reasonably well each day. The traffic lights on Oxford Street are no doubt operating as you are reading this.
We have a well-organized standing army, an enviable health care system, competent civic planning, a food distribution system that provides the necessities and even, we can dare to say, a fantastic array of opportunities for students. No matter which of the national political parties comes to power next, there is unlikely to be rioting in the streets (except maybe on Fleming Drive) and students are not going be interrogated by secret police or terrorist groups.
At the same time, when elections come, we all need to be involved. It is a small thing everyone can do ensure that those who govern will continue to be responsible. People across the country that I know pray for Canada regularly. I see well-run elections and voter involvement as one of the ways God says “yes” to those prayers.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
People sometimes worry about political apathy in this country. It's usually considered a problem that needs to be corrected. And with Canada possibly facing an election, commentators are again voicing their anxieties. They complain that not enough students have been voting this decade.
The Elections Canada website has research results showing that back in 2000 only 22.4 per cent of 18-20 year-olds voted while over 80 per cent of those over 58 cast ballots. The numbers will be a little different for each election, but the long-term trend is there to see.
But is that trend all bad? There are some places in the world where youth voter interest is no doubt much higher. Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Chile to name a few possible places. In other words, we can expect students to be more interested in public issues, whether issues about Fleming Drive, or about Canada, where there is widespread discontent or anger.
An upside to apathy about Canadian political life is that it is partly an indicator that most people are, well, sort of content. In spite of all the concerns Canadians have, things continue to run reasonably well each day. The traffic lights on Oxford Street are no doubt operating as you are reading this.
We have a well-organized standing army, an enviable health care system, competent civic planning, a food distribution system that provides the necessities and even, we can dare to say, a fantastic array of opportunities for students. No matter which of the national political parties comes to power next, there is unlikely to be rioting in the streets (except maybe on Fleming Drive) and students are not going be interrogated by secret police or terrorist groups.
At the same time, when elections come, we all need to be involved. It is a small thing everyone can do ensure that those who govern will continue to be responsible. People across the country that I know pray for Canada regularly. I see well-run elections and voter involvement as one of the ways God says “yes” to those prayers.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
