Vote — and make yourself heard

Re: Even if your vote doesn’t affect the outcome, it matters, Aug. 25.

With a federal election on Oct. 19, the adage of “bad politicians are elected by bad citizens who do not vote” comes to mind. That’s why it’s important for all citizens and particularly for young people to give meaning to their citizenship ... and prepare to cast an informed vote.

It’s been said that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. That really is not true. Instead, decisions are made by a majority of those people who made themselves heard and who vote. While there once was a time when we did care enough to vote, perhaps our political journey from alienation to apathy to virtual electoral paralysis reveals that, in an odd way, low voter turnout has become a formidable political statement in itself as an implicit expression of a distrustful electorate’s growing public disenchantment and disillusionment with politics and politicians. E.W. Bopp, Tsawwassen, B.C.