Dear Editor,
As the political campaigning keeps raging in the background, and with the anticipation this week that the most honourable prime minister may soon give us the date we should be going to the polls, I wish to look at voter apathy, alongside the conspiracy that those who don't vote are not contributing to the process.
For too long I have sat and listened to people who ought to know better declare that they are not going to ever vote, as if that's something to be proud of. They wear chips on their shoulders while turning their noses up at the process as though they are separate from it; not knowing that they are what's wrong with the process.
When what are supposed to be the brightest minds in our population stay away from the polling stations we leave the fate of our nation's future to those who are easily bought and who settle for mediocre leadership, fanfare, along with too much unwarranted sensationalism.
So you think politics has nothing to do with you, huh? Whether it is the Jamaica Labour Party or People's National Party, it doesn't matter, because it doesn't change anything, right? Well, you couldn't be more wrong. Of course, nothing will change right now, if you change no part of the equation, then the answer will remain the same. But, if we replaced the base of both parties with university students and the middle/working class, then everything will change.
The leaders of both parties will have to change their approaches. Their platforms will have to be based on issues, what affects the middle class and affordable tertiary education. We need to change our approach to the process and then the electoral process will change. If we get more involved, then we will get better candidates, because the delegates of both parties will change. Sitting around and complaining never gets the job done. We have to get our hands dirty and control the process. Demand townhall meetings, question everything, ask hard questions, vote them in and vote them out. With that being the process, candidate selection would have to get better and results would be the victor of the day. Selah!
Rohan D B Walsh
St Andrew
bryanwalsh@hotmail.com
Vote until something happens
-->
As the political campaigning keeps raging in the background, and with the anticipation this week that the most honourable prime minister may soon give us the date we should be going to the polls, I wish to look at voter apathy, alongside the conspiracy that those who don't vote are not contributing to the process.
For too long I have sat and listened to people who ought to know better declare that they are not going to ever vote, as if that's something to be proud of. They wear chips on their shoulders while turning their noses up at the process as though they are separate from it; not knowing that they are what's wrong with the process.
When what are supposed to be the brightest minds in our population stay away from the polling stations we leave the fate of our nation's future to those who are easily bought and who settle for mediocre leadership, fanfare, along with too much unwarranted sensationalism.
So you think politics has nothing to do with you, huh? Whether it is the Jamaica Labour Party or People's National Party, it doesn't matter, because it doesn't change anything, right? Well, you couldn't be more wrong. Of course, nothing will change right now, if you change no part of the equation, then the answer will remain the same. But, if we replaced the base of both parties with university students and the middle/working class, then everything will change.
The leaders of both parties will have to change their approaches. Their platforms will have to be based on issues, what affects the middle class and affordable tertiary education. We need to change our approach to the process and then the electoral process will change. If we get more involved, then we will get better candidates, because the delegates of both parties will change. Sitting around and complaining never gets the job done. We have to get our hands dirty and control the process. Demand townhall meetings, question everything, ask hard questions, vote them in and vote them out. With that being the process, candidate selection would have to get better and results would be the victor of the day. Selah!
Rohan D B Walsh
St Andrew
bryanwalsh@hotmail.com
Vote until something happens
-->