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A Luxury, Uncherished

来源:贴心姐妹网   更新:2013-08-24 07:51:24   作者:黄晓彤(Daphne Veronica)
A Luxury, Uncherished
 
“It’s Inconvenient.”
 
“What a Waste of Time.”
 
“I Don’t Care.”
 
ARE the main responses I get when I try to tell people to vote or keep an eye out on major political issues.  
 
I often continue the conversation with a reminder that the Markham municipal election has established an online voting system since 2003 getting a mere “I’ll see” as a response. 
 
Being Canadian born has often made me take for granted countless luxuries such as the supreme air quality, highly preserved green space, freedom of speech and press, and most of all the essence of Democracy itself. 
 
In pursuit of my graduate studies, I translated a chapter of Szeto Wah (a deceased Hong Kong politician)’s biography for my dissertation.  The chapter starts off by defining what a truly democratic system is and progresses through with portraying how he supports the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China but is torn knowing that once the handover takes place, democracy would not exist. The conclusion discusses his unwavering determination in his fight for democracy knowing that he would never be able to witness it himself in his lifetime.  
 
It is heartbreaking to note that Szeto Wah dedicated his entire life to realize a dream, a vision where a truly democratic system would prevail.  
One that would include: (1) Universal Suffrage, (2) Three Distinct Branches of Power, (3) A Multi-Party System, (4) Freedom of Speech, and (5) Nationalized Military Forces.
 
One that didn’t come true for him. 
 
One that we possess here in Canada but often overlook. 
 
That being said, our democracy is nowhere near perfect, nowhere near utopia. 
 
It is encouraging to see lobbyists, activists, ombudsmen keeping out a watchful eye on government policies but this is far from enough. 
 
Voter turnout in Canada has been on a steady decline for the past decades, especially in municipal elections where Markham’s municipal election turnout rate in 2010 was merely 35.5%. 
 
As Canadian citizens, we should realize that the right to vote is not a chore, not something to be overlooked, but rather a luxury---one that was sought after for a lifetime, yet unrealized, on the other side of the world. 
 
Daphne Veronica Wong(黄晓彤 is a translator at CWPR Marketing and holds a Honors Bachelor of Arts Political Science Specialist Degree from the University of Toronto and Master of Arts Degree in Translation and Interpretation from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She has begun her involvement with politics at the tender age of 9 and emceeing at the age of 19 in events such as the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Yee Hong Foundation and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Memorial Award Fundraiser.  In addition, she also occasionally performs at community events such as the Markham’s Got Talent show for fundraising purposes. Her interest in translation has also led her to provide translations in events relating to Chinese medicine.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and playing the piano. 
 
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