Responding to Bill McQarrie’s commentary, North Island Rising: Political polarization, published in the May 29 edition of the North Island Gazette:
I am in complete agreement with Mr. McQuarrie that it is time for politicians and candidates to stop using the tactics of fear and division to try to sway voters in their direction.
Such tools may have temporarily given power to one party or another, but it has never led to better governance or more fair democracy.
We are living in a time where all of us – indeed, our entire civilization – is facing enormous challenges, such as global warming and climate catastrophe, gross income inequality, growing water shortages, disappearing jobs, housing unaffordability, disappearing species and the annihilation of the natural environment.
These threats to the continued well being of not only humans, but all life on our planet, can only be resolved by ALL of us working together to find our way through.
No matter our political leanings, race or culture, we all have a role to play in helping create a liveable long-term future, and we all have a piece of the answer.
Sowing seeds of doubt, dissention and distrust will only serve to help those invested in the status quo to stay in power – to the ultimate detriment of us all, and the inevitable collapse of the environment as we’ve known it.
Now more than ever, we must listen to each other, respect our diversity of viewpoints, and work cooperatively and enthusiastically to discover creative and imaginative solutions to our biggest challenges.
Fear and doubt will destroy us. Hope and collaboration can save us.
The various surveys mentioned in McQuarrie’s column are strong evidence that a large and growing majority of Canadians think alike, and want to see our leaders embrace a new way of doing politics.
Let this election be the beginning of a new era in Canadian politics, where the strategies of division, polarization and fear are replaced by trust, respect and mutual cooperation, as together we bring forth the best and brightest ideas of us all.
This is how we will craft wise and just policies and legislation that can ensure a thriving and viable future for us all.
This letter was submitted by Mark de Bruijn,
Green Party of Canada candidate for North Island-Powell River riding