I've also tried calling politicians and
meeting with them in person, but with every attempt, their secretary
answers and tells me that he or she is unavailable. I've tried
visiting their actual offices, but they also seem never to be around.
One day after speaking with an assistant, he threatened to call the
Police if I didn't leave his office. Of course, I had done nothing to
deserve that, the fact was that he just didn't like what he was
hearing. All of this is in sharp contrast to what you see on
television, where politicians stand in front of Parliament and make
speeches about how they're changing things. For instance, I've
noticed they continuously refer to us Albertans, but they don't even
bother meeting with the common folk.
I also have problems with the
representation in this so-called democracy. A quick glance reveals
that the dominant political parties are the Conservatives, the
Liberals, and the NDP. But other parties like the Marxist-Lenninist
Party or the Communist Party of Canada (I can't remember if they're
the same thing) do not play any substantial role in Parliament. I
think that's rather sad considering that even these apparently
radical parties are pretty mainstream. They're not really making
changes to the basic structure of society, but rather just interested
in reforms. Sadly, I've also tried contacting other parties for their
assistance, but they're also too busy making speeches. I have yet to
receive one reply from the Liberals and NDP, telling me that they
would work with me to ensure my concerns were heard. In fact, they
don't even bother sending me a thank-you letter.
I'm at a loss of words in knowing what
a more responsive democracy in Alberta would look like. That's mostly
because none of the issues I raise really appear on the table. It's
true, I don't cling to the television, waiting to hear what goes on
in Parliament. But I can honestly say that in all my time having
listened to them in the media, not once have I heard them bring up
the issue of public housing, nor have I heard them propose
substantially raising the allowance for “the severely handicapped.”
They've talked about student loan exploitation, only they don't call
it exploitation, they see it as a generous way in which to ensure
that people across Alberta receive a post-secondary education. Not
once have I heard them even entertain the idea of making college and
university schooling completely free. They also haven't touched the
issue of our connection as consumers to plantations or sweat-shops,
nor have I heard them propose substantial solutions to soaring food
prices. They never speak about Alberta's history of racism and its
effect in 2013. At best, they might mention that some people on
reserves have no clean drinking water, to which ministers simply say
“we're working on that.” In essence, nothing I think is
important, the things I learned about through my own education, have
made it to the table for discussion. And while some of us at the end
of the day go back to our “lower income” existences, they go out
to lunch when they're done to eat at a nice restaurant.
One of the things that might help,
however, is if people started writing more letters and proposals, and
the ministers themselves actually read and considered them. I think
protesting for CBC or Global is ineffective. You might get your two
minutes in the lime-light, but then everything goes back to normal.
Put simply, I think people need to tell governments what the real
issues are, and start proposing solutions to be put into action.
On the other hand, I think it's also
true that perhaps politicians don't have any power. There are some,
for example, who believe that there is a power structure already in
place, where politicians are forced to propose and vote for things
which people behind the curtains are asking. Otherwise, this might
spell the end of their career as they may be ostracized.
If that's not at all how it works, and
it's not corporations and other powerful people dictating politics,
then I think it reflects poorly on politicians that the things I
mentioned are still on the table. Why, for instance, was my letter
passed on to a social worker when I criticized AISH legislation? Why
didn't anything I said have any weight? Furthermore, why are basic
things like housing, food prices, or structural racism nothing to be
concerned with? And why would it be so difficult to say “Thank you
for your input,” rather than respond as if I didn't understand laws
or policies. Maybe establishing a web-site would help. Perhaps people
could log-on and express their concerns, and politicians could take
the time to sort through the information and understand general
patterns. Whatever the solutions, the fact remains that politicians
in this province are not listening, which leaves people already in
dim situations feeling frustrated.
