Rumour has it that young people don’t usually think before they act, and this is, for the most part, true. This is true at the voting booth as they are inclined to choose a candidate based on any number of reasons.
Yet what isn’t going through their head in that little booth is the question: What the hell am I doing?
One vote, it is sometimes claimed, can tip the scale of a whole federal election. What if yours was the one that led to catastrophe or ruin? An unlikely situation, admittedly, yet it must be considered, and what else must be considered is whether you want some fresh faced 18 year old tipping those scales. I mean, they just qualified for their first credit card.
The youth of Canada need to realize that they are not entitled to change society to fit their ideals on the basis of their youth anymore than the old have the right to halt progress on the basis of their age.
“Youth” is time in the lives of a human most often characterized by inexperience and ignorance. It is needless to say that all youngsters have not ventured into the world to become fully acquainted with the world and with human nature. In today’s era, especially within Canada, most young people have never experienced the pangs of hunger or poverty, or the inexpressible depression that comes about from want. How can one be expected to make a wise choice at the polling booth?
The youth of Canada are largely free from worries that afflicted their ancestors. They have more time to think and less to experience; more time to dream than to act.
I am not saying that the voting age should be raised to twenty-five, the age when the human brain fully matures, I am not saying that the youth should have no say on what goes on in their nation. What I am advocating is caution and moderation.
‘Moderation in our politics and caution in our actions’ should be our motto.
So take some time to reflect on what you believe to be true. Research and read up on history, economics, and spend some of your free time reading into the current events happening around the world, and maybe lay off the netflix.
Just remember, ‘moderation in our politics and caution in our actions’.
