A post I wrote over at Challenging the Commonplace just yesterday is receiving far more 
attention than I was expecting. Which is a good thing, I hope. Those of you who support 
electoral reform, which is the first crucial step toward democratic reform, may be interested in 
reading it.

[Background and disclosure: BC is having an election on May 12th. At the same time, we are 
having our second referendum on whether or not to replace the current voting system, first-
past-the-post or FPTP, with the Single Transferable Vote or BC-STV. I'm a volunteer with the 
British Columbians for STV campaign.]

EXCERPT:
Contrary to those who enjoy debating electoral reform and prefer keeping emotion out of it, for 
people like me who still vote and for those who no longer do or never have voted, reducing the 
inequities of our electoral system is crucial to our engagement in the process.

We feel the need for this reform wrenching deep in our guts.

Literally. We feel starved to be involved and to be meaningfully consulted and heard.

We are of the demographic to which politicians pay lip service every four years. We are people 
who live in the lowest decile or quintile of household income. We are people who are homeless 
or who fear each day that tomorrow or next month we will be joining our brethren on the 
streets. We are people who live in poverty because disability limits our employability. We are 
people who have been marked as different and hence bear the stigma of society's discomfort or 
scorn....

Full article: http://tinyurl.com/dhjfl2

Ocean
--
Blog: Challenging the Commonplace - and other irreverent activities
http://challengingthecommonplace.blogspot.com/
Book: Policies of Exclusion, Poverty & Health: Stories from the front
Podcast Channel: http://bcseawalker.podbean.com/
Now on Twitter! http://twitter.com/tidewaters

Support the BC Citizens Assembly's Recommendation for Electoral Reform.
Power Up Your Vote! On May 12th vote 'Yes' for BC-STV.
For information, visit http://www.stv.ca/  -    
Mid-Islanders, see also http://yes4stv-midvi.blogspot.com/

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