Dear Editor,
We are now just days away from another snap Parliamentary election and while for some it is crucial others view it as just another campaign of empty clichés and platitudes. On every street corner we continue to hear the refrain, “What’s the point? Voting makes no difference.”
The inherent messiness, incivility and dishonesty often attached to election season does not help.
At times, we are tempted to despair, wondering if the politicians and the programs offered are even worth engaging. Perhaps it’s better to simply sit out an election, some have concluded.
Some people, based on past experiences, have a right to be dubious and apathetic but every eligible person should vote and not be hopelessly indifferent to the value of our democracy.
We should vote out of love for neighbor. While we face the temptation to withdraw into ourselves and disengage from the world around us we must be mindful that we are called to live out our mission in our communities and in our country.
Jesus told us that we should love our neighbor as ourselves – how can we love our neighbor, how can we seek the welfare of our communities, if we abdicate the opportunity to choose the people who lead us? How can we love our neighbor if we ignore the policies and structures that affect him?
Voting is a way of telling our neighbors that we too are committed to a vision of the better life and promote the common good in our country. This simple yet sacred exercise can lead to cultivating a just and merciful society.
Secondly, we should vote because God has blessed us with this ability for which we will be held accountable. We can all agree that the system is flawed and requires reform post-haste. However, in Romans 13, Paul reminds us that all civil authority is granted by God (Rom. 13:1-7).
This power to vote – is a gift from God. Not only will government be held accountable for the way they rule – those who vote are also held accountable for the choices they make or didn’t make come election time.
In some ways this then helps us not to be so invested in a candidate or party that we lose heart. We therefore vote not because of their promises of pie in the sky but to fulfill our God-given requirement.
Thirdly, we should vote to give voice to the vulnerable. On some issues, a vote for or against a particular candidate can be a vote for or against human dignity. It is a way for us to speak out for the powerless on issues that elevate their worth and dignity in our society.
It was Jesus who commanded us to stand in the gap for the widows and orphans; that is, the marginalized of our society. We do so when we vote for policies, programs and politicians who hear their cry and seek to institute corrective measures.
We should never renounce or underestimate our power to influence government. Every vote counts. We must see our efforts from a communal perspective, individually it might seem insignificant yet combined our vote can have a staggering impact in this country we call home.
“One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” – PLATO
Every voter should exercise their right to cast a vote in this election. Our forefathers fought valiantly, some even died to establish this right to be heard, to have a say in social, political and economic matters and to leave the best government for future generations.
Go out and vote.
St. Maarten/St. Martin Christian Council
