Vote - or don't moan at outcome

Elections. Voting ballot box. BOP 18jul07 - ROT 7jun08 - BOP 19sep08 - HBT 21Oct09 - RDP 21Oct09 - BOP 18Aug10 - BOP 08Oct11 - RGP 17Jun14 -

IT'S that time again we turn our minds to who is running the country. Yes, there is an election pending.

This is a touchy subject in our family.

Growing up, my dad was a unionist so it followed suit the rest of us would be swayed towards voting for a particular party.

Especially if we didn't understand what it was all about; or for that matter care about at 18.

Since those times, thank goodness, I have taken this role a little more seriously and actually get off my chuff every three years and exercise my opinion by vote.

My nan helped change all this for me. In her words "if you don't vote then you have no right to moan about who is in control".

She always said it was our job to "bring about change or suck it up and forever hold your peace".

Last election, I was talking with one of my adult sons about voting and, to my shock, his reply was: "Why bother? Nothing is going to change if I do or don't vote."

To my horror, his young mates also held the same views.

In the end he did tick the appropriate box after I dragged him along to the polling booth.

I don't like ramming it down his throat but living in a democratic society I believe we need to have our say or we have no right to moan about the job being done by whoever is in power.

No matter whether the outcome is one you voted for or not, at least you have filled your democratic responsibility and done so.

As a working person contributing to the taxation system, I have questions I want answered and the result of the answers might be me changing which party or individual I vote for this time.

We are in a new town so it's wide open for this voter.

If you don't vote then don't bother complaining about who is in power. You don't have that right unless you have done the right thing by voting on the day.