Lovin’ Life 14/9/2017: My Right To Vote.


Our council elections were held over the weekend so we joined the rest of the neighbourhood in making the trek to our local primary school to cast our vote.

Some of us travelled via scooter, others on foot.  There were dogs in tow, prams in tow and even the odd balloon.  But sadly, no sausage sizzle or cake stall.

I’m just going to come right out and say it but you can’t have an election without on site food and beverages.  Aside from the sustenance, the stalls add colour, noise and vibrancy to the day.  Voters mill around and chat as they peruse what’s on offer and the proceeds from the sales on the day benefit the host primary school.

Preschooler SSG enjoyed the outing nonetheless.  Because it was quiet, he got to explore the school’s playground and have a go at a few of the games on his own.

By coincidence, we found ourselves at Circular Quay on Sunday at around the same time that a marriage equality rally was concluding in the forecourt of Customs House.  In a peaceful yet powerful demonstration, members of the LGBT community stood shoulder to shoulder with their heterosexual supporters under an expanse of rainbows, pithy placards and simple yet devastatingly effective costumes.

People of different religious faiths were present in a statement that their God focuses on love above all else.

Several thoughts crossed my mind as I went to vote on Saturday and as I sat in that food court on Sunday in the midst of the crowd of marriage equality supporters.

The right to vote and the right to equality and free speech are all effortless to me.  They’re all practically handed to me on a silver platter.  The thought that I or my family could be persecuted or even killed for not toeing some political line doesn’t even cross my mind as I cast my vote or look over the campaign material for the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ campaigns.  No one is watching me or being encouraged to speak against me by some omnipresent ruling party.

But as with anything that’s so easily come by comes the risk that politics become a meaningless blur of media sound bites and headline grabbing policies.  I’m taking steps each day to become more aware of what our politicians are actually doing rather than what they say.  Curiously, this getting of wisdom happens around bedtime as I listen to ABC News Radio.  But it’s a start, at least.

Judging from the crowd on Sunday, Australia and all its people are ready to acknowledge that love is love.


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