’WPC5 ü9ųŁ8©h!ÕJ,£ļģ|¹_C »Ž“RwSņH ĪJXj P¢óŠ\ś4If{D:b*«/§ķ°j+==Š/7j,Ū;ŃY'0ŠķČfJąV*UŽ—&'J}ćˆÉ=‚»y]ÓēźOČeŽŖēĻ”S^“ą^ÅŽō#EOn§‹ŗ|2s+ØLŒ›ĮuÕ«ośœ­§ßÖ¼b^“¶›= }J·ø)ŲčvĪ£hŽäDßGN?‘ƒt)ƕm› vĒ’™II oŲ:O@įJŸ–%;ЬŚ‘½k¬QToĶ’ĆķF ˜Õ…LŵТS·`®ė޶cd{ˇ_­Š“—8žaŒ 1ߣćJĖ»’ƒ‚E5Œ&¹¬X”_ź*-hyTw  ÜŠńŌĀ*{­„­-¤(—üß®Ÿ@ 6ķ„hŽ9ˆ]1d~³aG »&QńŒ„ŒM•†źKŲ¬‘fŽ+WNJ?£±ÓXĄ%ą@'£®”Ü£¬} «w·?飬B„µ¦žŃžĘšVšƒĀ.‹ rµfµ+ļsnyźHī.²uÖ,Ē$ {wOŅ€UY«źqó8·§’DÓ¬=¶lw £%µh˾~įŪedüVO˾K²_` #ĮšUN[ %© 0:Æ^ éwõ4ł  m˜Brother MFC-6000,,TT,,0(ÖĆ9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ö\$””ŌCEUS.,Ō¬;9 g3tFeat3|x’U‹’ĄĄĄŻ ƒö\!ŻŌCEUS.,ŌŻ  ŻŌ_ŌREJECT€to€ELECTŠ ° ŠĢWho€votes?€€What€issues€are€we€voting€on?€€Who€represents€my€own€beliefs€and€ideas€of€howŠ ˆŲ Šsociety€should€be€functioning?Š tÄ ŠĢDoes€voting€really€make€a€difference?Š L œ ŠĢRegardless€of€Ō_ŌsocioŌ_Ō-economic€background€these€are€the€questions€we€ask€as€we€slide€into€thisŠ $ t Šautumn€with€three€elections€coming€up€within€days€of€each€other.€The€good€folks€of€Ō_ŌHRMŌ_ŌŠ  ` Šmetropolis€are€given€the€privileged€task€of€choosing€a€school€board,€a€city€council€and€a€memberŠ ü L  Šof€parliament€in€the€hopes€that€each€of€us€will€have€our€own€voice€heard€through€each€person€weŠ č 8  Švote€for.Š Ō$  ŠĢIf€you€are€living€in€Nova€Scotia€and€in€particular€the€Ō_ŌHRMŌ_Ō,€you€have€been€lulled€into€a€numbnessŠ ¬ü  Šwith€the€campaigning€rhetoric€of€promises€of€a€better€and€safer€tomorrow.€It€seems€with€eachŠ ˜č  Špassing€election€the€masses€are€becoming€so€numb€over€the€expectation€of€nothing€from€theirŠ „Ō  Šrepresentatives€that€there€really€seems€to€be€no€need€for€elections€and€the€vulgar€waste€of€moneyŠ pĄ Šspent€each€time.€So€why€have€elections€and€go€through€the€inconvenience€of€the€voting€process?Š \¬ ŠĢWho€votes?Š 4„ ŠĢIn€auld€Canada,€the€voting€process€was€an€exclusive€ššmembers€onlyšš€process.€It€was€one€of€theŠ  \ Šmost€single€events€that€separated€the€people€into€visible€social€categories€which,€at€that€time,Š ųH Šmeant€for€those€who€were€academically€educated,€the€progeny€of€generational€wealth€and€classŠ ä4 Šprivilege,€male€and€Caucasian.Š Š  ŠĢWe€know€historically€this€elite€club,€no€doubt€against€its€will,€was€forced€through€legislation€andŠ Øų Šmovements€for€human€dignity€and€rights,€to€open€the€door€to€allow€non-members€to€enjoy€theŠ ”ä Šprivilege€of€voting€for€those€that€would€bring€Canada€into€the€future.€Although€voting€is€said€toŠ €Š Šbe€democratic€in€the€nature€of€electing€a€representative,€it€could€not€boast€of€being€trulyŠ l¼ Šdemocratic€or€representative€of€the€people€until€it€included€all€the€people.Š X Ø ŠĢSo€why€is€it€then€that€after€a€relatively€brief€history€of€political€development€that€enables€allŠ 0"€  ŠCanadians€to€have€the€right€to€vote€do€we€not€have€a€great€voter€turn-out€at€the€polls?€Why€in€aŠ #l! Šplace€as€small€as€Ō_ŌHRMŌ_Ō€do€we€not€have€100%€€turn-out€at€the€stations€despite€the€right€that€wasŠ $X" Šonce€a€privilege?€The€answers€are€similar€across€class€lines,€each€person€having€strong€opinions€onŠ ō$D # Šwhy€voters€in€this€city€and€province€are€so€without€enthusiasm.Š ą%0!$ ŠĢWhat€issues€are€we€voting€on?Š ø'#& ŠĢThe€real€numbers€are€unknown€but€it€would€be€interesting€to€know€who€still€votes€for€the€personŠ )ą$( Šor€party€their€grandparents€voted€for.€€How€many€choose€because€of€the€poli-platform€that€eachŠ |*Ģ%) Šparty€claims€to€represent?€Or€do€you€vote€for€the€person€who€has€the€strongest€hand€shake?Š h+ø&* ŠĢOr€are€you€like€us,€grown€bored€and€tired€of€the€same€ole€same€ole€that€you€rather€bath€the€catŠ @-(, Šthat€is€not€declawed€on€election€day,€deeming€it€less€painful.€€Here€in€this€province€and€city€weŠ ° Šhave€the€devils€you€know€versus€the€devils€you€know,€each€party€wearing€their€cheap€smellingŠ œģ Šversion€of€eau€du€Halifax€Harbour.€Despite€being€a€scent-€free€province€there€is€a€stench€ofŠ ˆŲ ŠŌ_ŌpolitricksŌ_Ō,€elected€representatives€gone€afoul,€nobody€taking€the€lead,€nobody€being€responsible€atŠ tÄ Ševery€level.Š `° ŠĢWhat€issues€are€important€to€you€are€often€pimped€by€fast€talking€ventriloquists,€somebodyŠ 8 ˆ Šalways€has€their€hand€up€someone€elseššsš8š€well€you€know€how€it€goes.€More€schools,€more€jobs,Š $ t Šless€crime,€less€pollutionš8š€the€list€is€long.€We€at€RESPONSE:€A€THOUSAND€VOICES€vote€forŠ  ` Šless€government€corruption,€less€personal€spending€accounts€for€public€servants,€more€ethics,Š ü L  Šmore€accountability,€more€intelligence€and€more€responsibility.€We€have€never€seen€these€onŠ č 8  Šanyoneššs€political€handouts€to€dateš8š.were€they€assumed€to€be€givens?€We€argue€that€with€our€listŠ Ō$  Šthe€other€items€will€inevitably€be€resolved.Š Ą  ŠĢ€Who€represents€my€own€beliefs€and€ideas€of€how€society€should€be€functioning?Š ˜č  ŠĢ€The€obvious€should€be€noted:€had€there€been€anyone€one€person€or€party€that€represented€theŠ pĄ Šsame€ideals€and€beliefs€that€we€do€our€organization€would€be€rendered€obsolete.€It€is€the€void€ofŠ \¬ Šethical,€accountable,€intelligent€and€responsible€government€that€created€the€need€forŠ H˜ ŠRESPONSE:€A€THOUSAND€VOICES.€We€are€the€inevitable€by-product€of€the€ššŌ_ŌpolitrickingŌ_Ōšš€inŠ 4„ Šthis€city€and€province€as€a€whole.€No€one€party€is€the€perpetrator€or€victim,€they€are€equally€guiltyŠ  p Šplaying€out€their€dysfunctional€roles€where€the€good€folks€of€metropolis€lose€with€each€spin€of€theŠ  \ Šbottle.Š ųH ŠĢDoes€voting€really€make€a€difference?Š Š  ŠĢBrief€answerš8š.YES!Š Øų ŠĢIt€first€and€foremost€makes€a€difference€in€the€life€of€those€elected€who€now€get€to€enjoy€a€wageŠ €Š Šand€on-the-book-off-the-book€benefits€at€the€tax€payerššs€expense.Š l¼ ŠĢ€Does€it€make€a€difference€at€the€community€level?€That€depends€on€how€you€define€community.Š D!” ŠIf€you€define€it€solely€by€its€members€then€we€may€have€a€problem.€No€one€elected€person€couldŠ 0"€  Špossibly€represent€the€needs€of€all€their€constituents€equally,€it€would€be€most€unfair€to€expectŠ #l! Šthem€to€do€so.€And€what€if€those€needs€are€opposing?€€Who€gets€the€short€straw?€Who€decidesŠ $X" Šthe€ššworthinessšš€of€the€issues?Š ō$D # ŠĢMeet€Mister€Money.Š Ģ&"% ŠĢŌ_ŌMr.MoneyŌ_Ō€belongs€to€the€oldest€party€in€the€world,€the€Money€Party,€with€exclusive€membership.Š ¤(ō#' ŠThe€more€money€you€have€the€more€connections€you€have,€the€more€connections€you€have€theŠ )ą$( Šmore€resources€you€have,€the€more€resources€you€have€the€more€ššfriendsšš€you€have.Š |*Ģ%) ŠĢPoor€folk€ainššt€got€nae€friends.Š T,¤'+ ŠŠ @-(, ŠSure,€issues€that€plague€the€vulnerable€and€impoverished€are€often€talked€about€at€election€timeŠ ° Šbut€we€all€know€how€much€work€Talk€got€done.€€Sure,€the€visibly€poor€communities€get€lots€ofŠ œģ Šattention€but€either€it€is€negative€or€convenient.€The€former€is€self€explanatory,€the€latter,€theŠ ˆŲ Špolite€word€for€social€pimping,€a€Ō_ŌpolitrickŌ_Ō€done€shamefully€to€boost€poli-platforms€for€patronageŠ tÄ Šfrom€the€poor.€At€no€other€time€but€election€time€are€the€issues€of€the€poor€pimped€with€promisesŠ `° Šof€sugar€plums€for€those€with€no€food€in€their€bellies.€It€is€somewhat€profound€that€the€peopleŠ L œ Šwho€need€the€loudest€voices€are€often€ignored€or€silenced€except€by€Johnny€Gladhand€and€SmileyŠ 8 ˆ ŠJones.Š $ t ŠĢDo€the€wealthy€vote€more€that€the€sick€and€poor?€Do€the€wealthy€vote€differently€that€than€theŠ ü L  Šsick€and€poor?Š č 8  ŠĢWe€believe€the€wealthy€tend€to€choose€the€very€people€and€parties€that€assist€in€the€segregation€ofŠ Ą  Šthe€classes€motivated€by€the€intense€fear€that€poverty€is€somehow€highly€contagious€and€thereforeŠ ¬ü  Šin€need€of€desperate€measures€such€as€social€quarantine€and€persecution.Š ˜č  ŠĢAnd€who€do€the€Poor€vote€for?Š pĄ ŠĢTwo€years€ago€we€took€on€the€arduous€but€rewarding€task€of€petitioning€door€to€door€throughŠ H˜ Špublic€housing€systems.€As€we€heard€one€story€after€another€of€the€deplorable€conditions€here€inŠ 4„ ŠŌ_ŌHRMŌ_Ō€it€was€inevitable€that€the€discussion€of€ššwho€is€responsiblešš€would€come€up.€When€askedŠ  p Šeach€resident€if€they€vote,€the€same€replies€would€be€sounded:€ššnot€any€morešš,€ššwhy€botheršš,€šštheyŠ  \ Šlie€and€lie€and€lieššš8š.Š ųH ŠĢHow€do€we€motivate€a€people€who€have€seen€the€ugly€truth€of€society?€How€do€we€get€theirŠ Š  Švoice€out€of€the€kitchen€and€into€the€polling€stations?€We€introduce€them€to€Mister€Scratch.Š ¼  ŠĢHaving€worked€elections€myself€we€often€had€to€disregard€certain€ballots€for€it€was€not€clear€whoŠ ”ä Šthe€vote€had€been€intended€for.€Since€this€was€an€odd€occurrence€they€were€deemed€accidentalŠ €Š Šscratches€but€I€often€wondered€if€that€was€true,€perhaps€the€people€had€scratched€their€ballotŠ l¼ Šdeliberately€as€a€poli-protest.Š X Ø ŠĢWhen€we€offered€the€scratch€and€explained€how€it€could€be€done€people€smiled€more€and€stoodŠ 0"€  Šstraighter.€It€was€as€if€the€new€option€gave€hope€to€an€otherwise€hopeless€situation.€We€thenŠ #l! Šagreed€the€tallies€of€scratched€ballots€should€also€be€made€public€along€side€the€tallies€ofŠ $X" Šcandidates€so€the€public€could€see€the€true€democratic€process€at€play.€But€how€would€we€knowŠ ō$D # Šwhat€ballots€were€deliberately€scratched€and€which€ones€were€accidental,€an€act€of€poor€eye€sightŠ ą%0!$ Šor€language€barriers,€perhaps€even€illiteracy.€Š Ģ&"% ŠĢWe€advocate€that€Elections€Canada:€federal€and€provincial€and€municipal€elections€publish€a€slotŠ ¤(ō#' Šfor€REJECT€TO€ELECT€as€an€option€to€scratch€your€ballot.€This€is€a€hopeful€political€voice€andŠ )ą$( Šallows€voters€to€not€be€forced€to€pick€the€least€of€all€the€devils.€It€will€motivate€them€to€leave€theirŠ |*Ģ%) Šhomes€and€go€to€the€polls,€a€prediction€we€feel€confident€about€if€we€are€to€use€the€words€ofŠ h+ø&* Šthose€we€petitioned€as€liking€the€idea€of€scratching€very€much€indeed.Š T,¤'+ ŠŠ @-(, ŠRecently€federal€and€provincial€governments€have€been€in€minority€positions€having€to€look€overŠ ° Štheir€shoulder€at€the€dog€nipping€at€their€heels.€The€REJECT€TO€ELECT€option€would€place€atŠ œģ Šleast€one€other€dog€at€the€heels€of€the€ššwinnersšš€to€let€them€know€there€is€no€room€for€boozing,Š ˆŲ Šsnoozing€or€Ō_ŌsmoozingŌ_Ō,€it€is€time€to€get€to€work.Š tÄ ŠĢ€If€we€continue€to€be€exposed€to€the€devils€versus€devils€as€choices€we€will€live€long€enough€toŠ L œ Šsee€Mister€Scratch€beat€Mister€Money€at€the€polls.€It€will€act€as€a€wake€up€call€to€those€who€haveŠ 8 ˆ Šenjoyed€the€slide€and€glide€into€elected€seats€with€just€a€handshake€and€a€smile€much€like€that€ofŠ $ t Šthe€ventriloquist€doll.€We€predict€the€option€to€REJECT€to€ELECT€would€extend€far€outside€theŠ  ` Šwalls€of€impoverished€communities€by€those€who€have€grown€as€weary€as€the€vulnerable€atŠ ü L  Šwatching€lips€move€and€nothing€but€noise€coming€out€of€mouths€with€permanently€painted€smiles.Š č 8  ŠĢAs€the€election€count€down€begins€we€are€seeing€more€new€candidates€for€each€election€and€this€isŠ Ą  Ša€good€sign€for€the€hopelessly€hopeful,€much€like€the€farmerššs€rotten€crop€being€burned€to€theŠ ¬ü  Šground,€the€old€crops€being€ripped€out€at€the€roots€to€give€the€new€crops€a€solid€chance€to€startŠ ˜č  Šanew.Š „Ō  ŠĢWe€encourage€each€citizen€to€get€out€and€vote€for€each€election:€school€board,€municipal€andŠ \¬ Šfederal.€If€you€do€not€like€the€choices€on€your€ballot€card,€we€ask€that€you€have€enough€respectŠ H˜ Šfor€the€democratic€process€to€scratch€your€ballot,€a€valid€vote,€instead€of€staying€home€constantlyŠ 4„ Šcomplaining€about€cousins€ššŌ_ŌwouldaŌ_Ō,€Ō_ŌcouldaŌ_Ō€and€Ō_ŌshouldaŌ_Ōššš8š..Ō_ŌShenŌ_Ō€Ō_ŌAniganŌ_Ō€and€Tom€Foolery.Š  p ŠĢThe€marvel€of€all€history€is€the€patience€with€which€men€and€women€submit€to€burdensŠ ųH Šunnecessarily€laid€upon€them€by€their€governments.€William€H.€Ō_ŌBorahŌ_ŌŠ ä4 ŠĢŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌŌ_ŌRespectfullyŌ_Ō€submitted€by€Ō_ŌRESPONSE:AŌ_Ō€THOUSAND€VOICESŠ ¼  ŠĢĢ