The burden that is democracy

John Mraz makes the humbling comparison.

Canadians don’t want an election, to be sure. Yet the act of voting should not be perceived as an onerous task, but an enlightened right. As the son of a Czechoslovak émigré seeking refuge from tyranny, I was raised to value my enfranchisement. Spending several minutes, or even hours, going to the polls, is a privilege, not a burden.

As we empathize with the Iranian people in their pursuit of such simple freedoms, Canadians should remind themselves that true suffering is not be found in the narcissism and gamesmanship of our political theatre, nor even in the tired partisan invective and deplorable tactics sometimes used across the board. True suffering is not having your vote counted.