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It Is Not the Critic Who Counts

So, what did you do this weekend? Like most of us you were either preparing for winter or in southern Alberta, battening down the hatches for the first snowfall of the year. Making Halloween costumes for kids or buying your pumpkin.
opinion

So, what did you do this weekend? Like most of us you were either preparing for winter or in southern Alberta, battening down the hatches for the first snowfall of the year. Making Halloween costumes for kids or buying your pumpkin.

For others, those politically motivated to get involved, were at the United Conservative Party (UCP) annual general meeting, the New Democratic Party (NDP) convention, or helping the Alberta Party (AP) leader Barry Morishita knock on doors in Brooks as they had cancelled their policy convention to battle for the by-election there.

In the past, we left political leaders to ‘do what they do’ while we all went about our business blissfully unaware. We knew if one group or the other got in, they would do some things we liked, some things we don’t, but generally keep on a path of prosperity in eight areas: health, child welfare, education, labour, municipal government, property and civil rights, resource development and transportation.

Those blissfully unaware attitudes have consequences. They create outcomes that were unintended — sometimes positive, sometimes a detriment. The comfortable way of life we have lived post-second world war has led to a malaise and entitlement. A belief that someone else should do it, I’m too busy, important, et cetera but someone will do it.

Well, someone is. The people at the UCP AGM were deciding their strategy on the eight areas noted above. Who are those people? They are the delegates from each of 87 constituency associations, and members of the party who registered to vote. They will determine the party platform. Have you spoken to any of them? Do they represent your thoughts and beliefs?

The same can be said for the NDP convention as they are deciding their strategies and platforms to take into the next election in a few short months. Who are those people? The same 87 constituencies have delegates there, as well as affiliate groups. For example, the Alberta Federation of Labour has four seats at the table. If you are a unionized person, have you given them your feedback on how to vote on issues of interest to you?

The same can be said for the Alberta Party when they do ultimately gather.

Are you okay with the people you’ve left decision-making in all the parties or are you prepared to do something to influence those we anoint to do it for us? I think we have left far too much decision making in the hands of a few and abdicated our democratic responsibility to the greater good.

I blame the inventor of the automatic garage door opener. We arrive home, hit a button in our car, park in the garage, and close the door behind us. As we dust our hands from that pesky outside world we hunker down at home. These my friends are actions of our choosing.

Theodore Roosevelt was quoted in 1910, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; . . . who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”

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