tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post755910991957182229..comments2023-07-05T06:55:53.577-04:00Comments on College Ready Writing: The Personal Is Political - Please VoteLee Skallerup Bessette, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12243750156552824701noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-6484170731725736682010-10-27T23:38:23.897-04:002010-10-27T23:38:23.897-04:00About Quebec politics:
Respect is key. And while t...About Quebec politics:<br />Respect is key. And while the situation can get quite tense, here in Qc, and there's a lot of "exclusive respect" ("I'll only respect you if you agree with me"), the Quebec tendency to leave many things unsaid isn't about disrespect. Perhaps more than in the context of political lateralization in the United States, it's possible for us to truly respect someone on the other side of fence in terms of nationalisms (Canadian and Québécois).<br />The price of it, though, is that we probably remain entangled in the same issues, after a few decades.<br />(By the way, apart from the sponsorship scandal, the arrival of busloads of Canadians was perceived by some Québécois as «ingérence» and motivated at least some people to vote in favour of sovereignty.)<br /><br />Democratic duty:<br />Voting is an interesting activity. In the most appropriate mindset, it "feels" right, regardless of outcome. Regardless of cynicism.<br />In fact, with disenfranchisement, voter apathy, quirks of representative democracy, and even perceived similarities between candidates, voting could be considered overrated. Which doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done. Even someone who distrusts "checkbox democracy" can benefit from the good feeling from voting. Sounds absurd, but it works<br />What might work better, though, is preparation for the transition toward participatory democracy. Not that it's necessarily a superior form of democracy. But it does sound like an intriguing alternative for those people who want to keep the "feel-good" dimension of voting despite growing cynicism.<br /><br />Get out to vote and, on the way back from the polling station, strike conversations with people with diverse opinions. After doing your democratic duty, you might as well have democratic pleasure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-22179771648864949232010-10-25T17:14:18.440-04:002010-10-25T17:14:18.440-04:00Ah, you got the other message of my post. It's...Ah, you got the other message of my post. It's so easy to get caught up in the rhetoric and other, ahem, crap. I always have my students read about propaganda and talk about the political propaganda that is out there. And I always remember my own experience with it, too. <br /><br />Thanks for noticing.Lee Skallerup Bessette, PhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12243750156552824701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6529647435872563341.post-15233758994879754052010-10-25T12:34:53.761-04:002010-10-25T12:34:53.761-04:00While you're calling on people to vote, it sou...While you're calling on people to vote, it sounds more like you've made more of a difference from engaging in dialog with those with whom you disagree than from casting ballots. Both the American left and right could profit from that example, especially as each has something to teach the other. <br /><br />For example, the left is correct to be concerned about disparities of power among different populations, and the right is correct that the current trend of fiscal irresponsibility (from both major parties!) will cause far more harm than good in the long term.<br /><br />Maybe if there was more talking and less shouting, more Americans would come to see that?Steve Foersterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17613434140684502444noreply@blogger.com