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I don’t often get political.

But today is a very important referendum (and local elections in some places).

Over the years people have died all over the world fighting for their right to have a say in the running of their country. Being a woman (no I am, really) I take this opportunity to mention the Suffragettes and post a drawing of some women in fabulous hats.

Last year over a third of people didn’t vote in the election, probably some of them had to work late, or got stuck in those queues that made the headlines. But rather a lot of people just didn’t bother, and that makes me a bit sad.

For the record I am voting “YES” to AV today. Not because I think it’s a perfect system, but because I think it’s a better solution that what we have now. Which is a situation in which the person in ultimate charge of the country was voted for by less than half of the people who expressed a preference.

Not that I expect you to listen to me. I don’t give a flying fig which way people vote. But I do care that they DO vote.

I promise I will be back tomorrow with pretty frocks. In fact, tomorrow I have some quite exciting pretty frocks.

Today, however, I’m on my soapbox! Just in case you’re not sure what AV is I have a lovely video where some Kittens explain it all for you. In fact, even if you completely understand AV I recommend you watch it anyway, as it’s hilarious.

12 Responses

  1. Helen

    Oh I do love that cat video. And I feel the same too – if people didn’t have the right to vote, they’d soon complain about it. So they have the vote and don’t use it.

  2. perdita

    I agree completely: people don’t appreciate how lucky we are to vote. Rights are things that ONLY exist through everyone’s vigilence and action (otherwise they’re just words), when people take them for granted it’s so disappointing. The moment we ignore our responsibility to uphold rights, they can vanish and then it’s too late.

    My current irritation is being facebook messaged or tweeted by someone I don’t really know with ‘[insert celeb] says yes/no to AV so we should too’- with the implication that the named side is ‘cooler’ by association with the celeb, but with no information. What a silly reason to vote either way. Gosh I sound like a grumpy old woman, don’t I?

    • perdita

      PS. Of course I AM going to vote. Just not based on which celebrity is cooler.

      • Retro Chick

        I’d rather people voted because a celebrity they liked told them to, than not at all!

        Though obviously I’d rather they thought about the issues carefully 😀

  3. Marianne

    Totally with you on this! People not voting worries me a lot more than people voting for the parties I don’t like. Apathy is a very dangerous thing. Though I think that the political climate at the moment is at least getting more people to engage with politics, there have been so many demonstrations recently. So if one good thing can come out of the recession, coalition and cuts, it may be that people get more involved in politics. I hope so.

  4. Fiona - Straight Talking Mama

    oooh yes I agree, of course I’d love it if every one at the same political views as me cos then the world would be perfect ;o) However I just like people voting, have to say our polling station wasn’t exactly heaving but there was a steady flow, made me happy!

  5. Phoebe

    Here here, I’ve just done a blog post on the same topic. Its so important to vote whatever you feel about the issues/parties involved. I voted this morning

  6. LandGirl1980

    Comepltely agree 10000000% about people actually voting. Especially women. Makes me so mad when they don’t.

  7. For Those About To Shop

    We also had an election here in Canada – a federal election on Monday. I’m glad I went out to vote because my party won it’s first seat ever in the House (The Green Party). I also took my children along so they could witness civic responsibility. I was disgusted with people complaining about waiting to cast their vote. I always feels grateful to live in a country that allows me the right to decide who will run it. Lots of other places you take what you get…and it’s not good!

  8. Lady Cherry

    How odd I said this on my fb page earlier on! Isn’t the turn out just awful? To think there are people all over the world who would dearly love the chance to vote in an election and live in a democracy, and nearly half of the country can’t be bothered. So shocking. xx

  9. Steph (mrs_sock)

    I am voting on behalf of all cats in the hope they won’t evolve an opposable thumb. I think that all people of all ages should exercise their right to vote – we’re lucky we have the freedom.

  10. Lori Smith

    I was a bit ambivalent about voting as a teenager, until a (male) friend reminded me of just what some women when through to get me the right to vote. Now I always vote. As you say, AV isn’t a perfect system, but I do think that it would be better than First Past The Post when we have so many parties now. Fingers crossed for the results later!