Tidbit of information for y’all, I live in Alberta, Canada. And right now, the province is gearing up for a general election. And after being responsible and going through the political platforms of the contending parties…
…I’m Scared.
Before I go on, I should mention that I am 17, and therefore not allowed to participate in any elective process.
To those who don’t know, Alberta is basically the most conservative province in Canada, strikingly so. In the 2011 federal election, with the exception of a tiny riding in Edmonton, the ENTIRE province had voted to put the federal conservative party in power. With such a polarizing conservative mindset, the Progressive Conservative party of Alberta will likely get reelected, maintaining their 41 year old run in power. Because of this, People with liberal or center and left-of-center values and mindsets are not represented, massively outnumbered, and suppressed by an opposing Conservative force. This means that parties like the Alberta party, the Liberal party, and the New Democratic party have little (Almost no) chance of becoming significant contenders, or forming an effective opposition.
But I’m not done yet. There is one Jewel of a party I haven’t discussed. The Wild Rose Party. [Creepy music plays] This party is much farther right than the Progressive Conservative party, Ironically being MORE conservative than the progressive conservative party. They plan to overhaul the way in which Alberta works, By decentralizing health care and education, creating a newer and harsher justice system, and creating a new standard of human rights. Many of the candidates are Pro-Life (hence anti-abortion), Proudly Homophobic, and seek to remove rights protected by The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.-And that is scary beyond belief. Eerily so, this resembles the recent social justice revolutions happening in the USA. Scarier still, this, coupled with the intense conservative attitude carried in Alberta, and the fact that they have been “Cherry Picking” their campaign, actually gives the Wild Rose Party a shot at victory.
Sadly, I will have no influence on the outcome of the Alberta general election on April 23rd, for I cannot vote. Be it what it may, I hope Alberta does not become a political hell, and in the words of a Toronto Sun editor: “What’s bad for Alberta is Bad for Canada.”
