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/ To manage subscriptions/passwords, or view archives, go to http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html . [log in to unmask] is run in collaboration with Health Nexus: http://www.healthnexus.ca/index_eng.php