A challenge in Canada, for both those in government and for her citizens, is to keep and maintain and use her democratic rights and freedoms, and not waste them or take them for granted.
Canada has been singled out on a number of occasions by the United Nations and other agencies as one of the best places in the world to live, both in terms of quality of life and the freedoms afforded her citizens here.
Among the freedoms that Canadians enjoy is the right to vote in an election. In our system of government, there are elections at the municipal, provincial and federal levels, and coming up on Monday, Nov. 7, is the provincial general election for Saskatchewan.
There is a real danger in this election to slough it off, and say one's vote doesn't matter or doesn't really count. Depending on the riding, some residents may be of the view that the conclusion is a foregone one - but things can change in any election, and this election is no different.
For one thing, if enough people decided that it wasn't worth voting, the actual outcome of the vote may be altered and a different candidate might get in than was otherwise possible. This is of course possible in any election, but to have an outcome determined by voter apathy rather than by ballots cast by electors is not really what the Fathers of Confederation had in mind when thinking about the future of this country.
In addition, there have been some races that came down to a difference of just a handful of votes, or less - proof that every ballot cast does in fact count in the end.
There are countries even today where the fact of a democratic vote is only a dream, or a concept they heard about from far-away countries like Canada or the U.S., and there are people willing to put their lives on the line and die in order to bring about such a freedom to their land.
Men and women have in fact already bled and died to make that freedom possible here in Canada; don't let their sacrifice go to waste this election day. Take the time to step in to the booth, consider the names on the ballot, and mark your vote for the candidate you want. Enjoy the freedom - it didn't come for free.
