I don't like it either.

I had a conversation with a fellow I know only barely.  Great guy, talented, fairly articulate but who will probably never get laid because he holds the following opinions:

1. Women's reproductive issues - in this case, abortion - are topics in which MP's should vote their conscience and not necessarily vote along the party lines by which they were elected.  
2. That women are more likely to be swayed by the charismatic or well marketed -- even the sexy -- candidate and don't vote on our beliefs.
3. That abortion should not be covered by public health care.  He feels that people should not be required to pay for something they don't believe in. 

I, as you might guess, demured at the time and had one or two things to say.  Well, here's what I said; though, I admit I did say it in a less orderly way and I have had the chance to weigh my responses and make myself sound more clever.  So, here goes:

I don't vote for a candidate so that they get to change their mind and do whatever the heck they please when they actually get into power.  I vote for a party, not really a candidate.  I expect the candidate in question to honour the published policies of their affiliated political party.  If she wants to vote her conscience, let her grow a pair and run as an Indepedent.

I don't vote for the dynamic candidate. I don't vote thinking that he's sexy and my vote will get me laid.  I have met some very charming, charismatic, beautiful politicians in my lifetime.  Not one of them changed my mind on something that mattered because I thought they were sexy.   Could you die?  Phoning the lad or lass up the next day and saying, "Right you are.  Voted for you.  I will be right over.  Knickers off, please."

I don't like for paying things I don't believe in, either.  But I do it. I don't like paying for wars...uh...police actions.  I believe that there must be a better way and hate the fact that a significant amount of the money that our family pays in taxes goes to machinery, technology, and manpower that kills people.  In Canada, we are one of the top 15 in military spending and lay out about 22 billion a year right now for just this purpose (assuming Wikipedia can be trusted).  I honestly cannot see any difference between my conscientious objection to war and another person's religious objection to birth control and abortions.

I don't like paying for bailouts of large corporations.

I don't like paying for the development of the tar sands.

I don't like...huh.

Come to think of it, I don't like paying for a lot of things that the government does.  But what are we going to do?  Opt out of paying for some things because we don't believe in them?  Like RevCan would let you get away with that. We are either all in or all out.

And if a person wants to be a politician, she must recognize that she represents thousands of single votes.  She does not get the luxury of voting her conscience because that was already done on election night by the thousands of folks who voted for her.  She doesn't get to re-evaluate without going back and consulting those folks.  A vote of conscience is called a 'referendum'.  That's when everybody in the country gets to vote their conscience.  A politician voted in legally and representing the wishes of her constituents needs to be professional and vote down party lines.  If you don't want to do that, then you shouldn't have become a politician in the first place.

If we, the public, don't get a choice and must bend to the will of the people, then, a politician shouldn't have the right to bend the will of the people by arbitrarily voting as she pleases.



Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently directing Kidsplay 2012:  The Mayan Prediction opening in June, and The Last Five Years for TOKL Productions opening in July.  She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  She is preparing for two Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camp sessions for 2012.

Want to contact me?

Jacqui Burke
Artistic Director
Jaybird Productions
talk/text:  647-292-0210
twitter:  @jaybird01
skype:   Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/

Ask me about Shakespeare is Boffo! Premium Summer Camps for Kids.  Two installments in 2012:  The Homeschoolers` Version:  11:00 am – 3:30 pm, August 13-17, 2012 for only $125.  Premium Full Day Summer Camp:  9:00 am – 4:00 pm, July 16-20, 2012 for only $155.  Both prices hold until May 15th, 2012.  Spots are going fast.  Register, now at www.shakespeareisboffo.ca

Like what you read?
Encourage me by clicking on one of these ads in this blog.