Non-voters a danger to our democracy

“Vote as if your life depends on it. If not your life, consider the lives of our children and grandchildren, the future of democracy around the world, and the well-being of the community of life on earth — on and within which we all depend.”

Thus began a letter, variations of which I sent out over the past few months to Canadian and American friends living in Canada and the U.S. While at that time I was primarily focused on the critical U.S. midterm elections, my voting concerns continued on through the rather dismal turnout for our own recent local Capital Regional District and Islands Trust elections, and now to our important referendum on proportional representation.

Anyone who lives in and enjoys the benefits and privileges of a democratic society has an ethical and moral obligation to make a sincere effort to be an active, informed participant in the democratic process. Surely, this is our minimal civic responsibility.

Too often, notably in the U.S. in the very recent past, elections have been determined, not just by well-documented insidious robocalls, science suppression, nasty undemocratic gerrymandering, illegal last-minute voter disenfranchisement, malicious misinformation and absurd sociopathic lying, fascist fear-mongering and facilitated foreign intrusion, but ultimately by the non-voters — the folks who just didn’t bother to show up.

Really? Is this the best we can do? Let’s vote, eh?

Ralph Miller Salt Spring Island