Yesterday was election day in Ontario. Despite only have 51% voter turn out, it was still higher than previous elections. We went from having a minority Liberal government to a majority, much to everyone's surprise. (The polls leading up to election day showed a very tight race.)
Today I went onto facebook. I had a couple of messages to deal with, but I inevitably started reading the news feed. There were some posts about the election, many voicing their sadness that the conservatives did not win or at least do better. (I seem to have a lot of conservative friends on facebook, or maybe they were the only ones who wanted/needed to post something.)
There was one post and resulting comments that really made me pause to reflect and stirred me into writing this post. (Don't worry, I am not making this a political blog.) The post basically said, and I paraphrase, that they were shocked that the Progressive Conservative party did not win, they thought they should move from Ontario because of it, and then, in later comments, more than one person said or agreed that whoever did not vote conservative were stupid, and that basically every person in the province was stupid because they didn't vote the way these particular people wanted.
Now, irregardless on how I feel about who won or lost the election, I take great insult to the way that this frustration was being taken out. We live in a world where people are different. They have different educations, ways of thinking, life experiences, talents and skills, etc. I love to read, I do not consider those who don't read to be stupid. I love Ikea, do I tell someone who doesn't that they are stupid? I think we all should recycle and compost. Do I tell someone they are stupid if they don't do those things right now?
By calling those who disagree with you or do something that you do not agree with stupid who are ultimately shutting down any exchange of ideas. Great ideas and good policy does not come from one person shutting down everyone else. It comes from a collaboration of many people. All bring to the table their collective knowledge and life history. The ideas bounce back and forth and get refined and polished. If those around the table were calling others names or calling them stupid, the dialogue would shut down fairly quickly, and not much positive change would happen.
When someone disagrees with me, I try, not always successfully, to understand where they are coming from and why they might think like that. Once that understanding is there we can discuss our views, why they are different and then come to a consensus, a way we can work together and move forward being the best we can be.
In the media and news we only see question period when our politicians are yelling at each other and acting divisive. I think that makes us feel we need to be divisive when talking about politics or elections. Behind the scenes, the politicians talk with each other, they work on committees together, and while the governing party has the ultimate say, they do hear what the other parties have to say too.
We need to listen to others and not just say that they are stupid. That is too simplistic a reaction for a complex issue such as voting. Usually a lot of thought and inner turmoil goes into whom we decide to vote for. It is not just a simple thing. When I cast my ballot I was still battling back and forth between who I would vote for. I stood with my pencil poised for about twenty seconds. If after this inner debate I voted for someone who others thought I shouldn't, should I be labeled stupid for that? I don't think so. It was a hard decision. I did not make it lightly. That is not so say that we can't be shocked or gobsmacked when things don't go our way or when people do things differently. Sometimes we have to acknowledge to ourself, "wow, that's not what I would do or act" or say "I wonder why they would have done that, that's kind of weird." But then you move on from it, you don't think that person is stupid, just different. You can either adopt their practice or not.
As for the other comment of saying they were going to move to a different province, that seems a bit over-the-top. Politicians come and go. Political climates change. In Ontario we have had conservative governments, liberal governments, and more socialist governments. and that was only in the past twenty years. Should we move every time the political climate changes? There is no guarantee that a province that has been conservative for a while won't all of the sudden change. Look at the last federal elections. Yes, the Conservatives won and formed the government, but I don't think any one saw the NDP becoming the official opposition. That was a shocker. So, moving really isn't going to do much. If you have a legitimate concern about the government, call your local representative, no matter what party they belong to. They are there to work for you. Voice your concerns. Be an advocate. Sitting back and calling people stupid and saying you will move, when let's face it, in reality that is most likely not going to happen (you need to make sure you have employment, someone needs to buy your house, you need to pack), will not bring about change, the change you think that this province/country needs/deserves.
Sorry for this rant, but I just could not believe the juvenile thinking that these people were expressing. Their lack of showing respect to others was astounding. It is fine to be upset and voice your frustration and concern, but do not blankly label people as one thing. Do not shutdown an opportunity for dialogue. And do not make idle, over-the-top threats/remarks. If you want to make Ontario a great place to live, demonstrate it through your actions and your words. No one wants to feel belittled or that their thoughts are silly. You capture more flies with honey than vinegar. Remember that when you are trying to persuade others that your way of thinking might be the best option. Here's hoping for more open dialogue opportunities in the future.
