Take deeper look

Re: Ontario voters are facing stark choices in coming vote — March 20

The cartoon next to the editorial on the Ontario election depicts a woman with a handbag saying “Our money” and pushing a cart with more than the cart can carry. The clerk says, “Oh goodie, here comes another one of our leaders from the left.”

I’m saddened about the rift in the United States as people are less able to discuss the issues and ideas, and much more able to insult the fact that an idea is either left or right. The ridicule and the name calling on political affiliation has turned political dialogue into hateful attacks. Insulting the people who lean one way or another

doesn’t bring our current society forward.

Our money is every person’s money. How it is spent — or conversely, not spent — is something that affects us all and needs proper conversation. We won’t always agree, but we can take a look at what the other side is attempting to achieve.

The editorial states that “in this era of growing polarization the middle ground in Ontario has shrunk as fast as February’s snowdrifts.” That’s not true unless cartoons continue to promote this slide toward knee-jerk reaction. There are three main parties in the Ontario legislature. People should be encouraged to dig deeper to look for the distinctions if they don’t see the differences based on headlines, Facebook memes and cartoons.

Cathi Stewart

Waterloo