For as long as I can remember, I've been intrigued, annoyed, confused, exhilarated, enraged - any or all of the above - by politics. Even as a teen I recall curling up on the bed or chesterfield where I would put my ear close to the radio and listen to any political broadcast that could be reached with our economy-sized Motorola.
The country in question didn't have to be Canada, as long as it was election coverage. I didn't even have to understand the political systems or the specific issues; it just had to be a rip-roaring chase to the finish line.
In trying to understand what made me so interested in the mechanics of democracy I also developed a deep sense of appreciation for the right to vote. I can honestly say I can count on my fingers the federal, provincial or local elections in which I have failed to vote. (I'd tell you which ones if only I could remember them.)
I still vote with deep appreciation for freedom but with disappointment at what I see and hear. Why? Because with age comes the realization that noble purposes are too often contaminated with less than noble ambitions.
Elections in several provinces will have been decided by the time this goes to press. Our neighbours to the south have their own political battles going on ahead of their next presidential race and, in British Columbia, municipal elections are coming up. Here's what I'd like to see in every candidate: honesty (I mean the real stuff, not just the words), personal integrity, a genuine regard for the dignity of opponents that supersedes idealistic differences and an honest commitment to keep promises. If that's you, you've got my vote!
"[Live] as free people but [live at all times] as servants of God." 1 Peter 2: 16
