Screw the Vote!
That was the title of a recent CBC TV special on why young people don't vote. Even if young people did watch CBC other than the Simpsons and NHL playoffs, it was a weak attempt at reaching out to them. What I saw of it, they were talking to "young" people (thirtysomething loners in a bar that used to not vote but do now), and the conversation went from what's wrong with the political process, to why your vote really does count.

In my present position as a youth pastor, I make myself more and more aware of youth trends. All over the place, young people (and adults) are becoming disenchanted with the church and with religious institutions. People often group religion and politics, as topics that they don't want to talk about, etc. Whenever there is a youth trend, it is merely a sign of a deeper societal trend. People feel that religion is becoming obsolete and is a product of archaic society, and that sense has carried over into politics.

When I was in high school, I liked following politics, and saw it as an extension of my intellectualism, and then I met Jean Charest. Together with two friends, (Mark who vainly gets upset if I mention his presence without mention his name, and Ken, who humbly ignored the possibility of getting into the newspaper when he saw me talking to a reporter) I went to a PC party rally in London, and what I saw embarrassed me. It was not a product of intellectual process, but it was an institution, and as such, was a product of people towing the line. Charest would say something bad the Liberals had done, and then the crowd would yell out, "Shame!" Every joke he told, they would laugh, every mantra he chanted, they would cheer. This was after all, their chosen one, and thus could do no wrong.

Jean Charest is now the premier of Quebec, the liberal premier. I would be tempted to yell out "Shame!" except that it was a good move for all of Canada. Former PC MPs have now switched over to the federal liberals. It's all a ploy. People do and say what they need to do to get elected, to maintain their institution.

Those controlling the political process need to realize what the church is now learning, slowly learning, and that is you can't convince people that an institution is good, without actually fixing what they accurately see is bad.

   [ posted by William @ 1:24 PM ]