Screw the Vote? Oh, the *irony*...

I recently visited Screw The Vote. At first glance, all I could say was "The hell...?" And then, "Oy vey."

I don't mean to sound too judgmental. I love the CBC. As for this Vote program, I missed the television special. Mind you, I didn't mean to. My favorite rock star, Sam Roberts, was in one of the promos. But somehow it slipped my mind. It never occurred to me to catch up on things until yesterday.

That said, I hope the television special was successful. I hope it did a better job than the show's web site. Because as it stands, the site has me concerned. As my beloved Sam said, "This is reverse psychology, isn't it?" Sam, honey, I know it's supposed to be, but...Don't get me wrong. I think Screw the Vote is a fantastic idea. And for the CBC's sake, I hope it pays off.

In theory, I understand what the CBC's trying to achieve. In fact, I applaud their efforts. They're hoping that young Canadians will see the wit, irony, and cynicism behind their Screw the Vote campaign. They want people to realize that if they don't step up, step out, and vote (dammit!), then they'll have no one to blame when they don't get the political outcomes that they desire. (I'm thinking of issues such as education, health care, etc. Hell, every aspect of our infrastructure.)

But what the CBC and others are toying with is this: In the eyes of many, not voting is a perfectly viable option. Sure, you're not subverting the system: You're not voting for the underdog--which could be seen as better than not voting at all. But the jaded attitude that some of us have, the apathy...I think it's grounded in a legitimate mindset. Sadly, although the CBC may have wanted young voters to "get the joke" with Screw the Vote ...In all likelihood, they may have found that many of us agree with their slacker sentiments.

The CBC might have tempted fate in their attempt to appeal to the other side. Because like it or not, the "other" side's got some teeth.

Too many politicians make campaign promises that they cannot keep. Sometimes they have good intentions. Most often, though, it seems as though said politicians are just talking tall in order to make it into office. There's plenty of corruption and dishonesty. (And I'm not naive. I know that no one can be an angel at all times.) Still...Consider our culture's political myths: Ideally, we're supposed to be able to look to our politicians as paragons--honest folks who have the public's best interest at heart. However, time and again, these ideals have been shattered. People have been looking for a model of political virtue that is not there. They're tired, and beyond fed up.

And if you're wondering, yes, I do vote. I voted in the last provincial election. But to this day, part of me questions my intentions. Overall, I have faith in our political system. Yet I have doubts about the whole electoral process. I still wonder whether or not I have realistic expectations.

I don't know about you. But in an argument, I like knowing that my opinion will at least be heard. I don't like supporting someone who doesn't seem to care about my wishes and may deceive me. And, ultimately, I don't like getting involved with anything that makes me wonder if I'm wasting my time. That, Dear CBC, is why (young) people don't vote. And quite frankly, I can't blame them.