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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-10-07, Page 5Wednesday, October 7, 2015 • Huron Expositor 5 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com Getting the kids to vote: a bold new approach Election time is a stressful time for all Canadians. We hear campaign ads from one side slinging mud at the other, candidates from each party make promises that they may or may not keep and we must decide whom we are going to entrust our country to. The problem is the newest generations of voters seem to not care. According to data from Elections Canada, 62% of people ages 18-24 did not vote in the 2011 federal election. While this is higher than in municipal and provincial elections, less than 50% is a wor- rying turnout. With fewer and fewer young people casting their bal- lots every year we have to ask ourselves why Column Matt Recker young adults don't see the importance in voting. The easy answer, one that I hear most often, is that they're lazy and buried in their phones. The older people are the ones likely to blame the Internet, cell phones and video games for the short attention spans and general apathy of their kids and grandkids. I don't think it's that simple. Young people are more socially minded than people give them credit for. The social justice movement is evidence of that. Twenty -something's care about civil rights, equality, racism and violence, foreign policy and the financial state of our cities and towns. So why aren't they flooding the voting booths? I believe one of the main problems is communication. Standard election ads don't work on young people like they used to; communication has changed. They see through the carefully edited, one-sided ads that glorify one candi- date and bash the other, and as a result both candidates lose credi- bility. Young people don't trust politicians very easily. They believe that anything that smells "corporate" is bad and shouldn't be trusted, and anything "indie" is real and genu- ine. This is reflected in the numbers of young adults that no longer watch TV and instead are devoting their enter- tainment time to You - Tube and Netflix. Tele- vision shows are full of corporate ads and owned by multi-million dollar corporations, whereas Netflix is ad free and YouTube is full of independently suc- cessful, everyday peo- ple just like them (and you can easily block the ads). An average, every- day kid talking into a camera on YouTube is getting more attention from that demographic than professional actors on television. In my opinion, what candidates should do is focus less on million dollar political ads and just sit down in front of their webcams and plainly state what they plan to do. This may be difficult for Harper and Mulclair as they may be seen as old men awk- wardly trying to relate to "the kids today, but it should be easy for Trudeau. The 18-24 demographic that would most likely vote for the Liberal Trudeau would ignore or skip his stand- ard political ad, but may respond to a down-to- earth, honest video that makes him look like just another Canadian. No mud slinging, no buz- zwords, just an honest conversation about the changes Mr. Trudeau wants to make. This would make the candi- date look less stuffy and corporate and more compassionate and real, which is what young adults respond to. Whether this type of video would ever get made is anyone's guess. Our political system hasn't drastically changed in a long time and if down-to-earth honesty was introduced the whole thing may collapse. After the recent debate's mad- house of shouting and talking over each other just to get their pre - scripted talking points I can see why the new generation doesn't have any interest in politics, it's a hornet's nest I would want to avoid too. IN THE YEARS AGONE Oct. 7, 1887 • For the first time in many years, Seaforth had favourable weather for its show on Thursday and Friday last. Appearances were ominous on both days and it tried hard to rain several times but none came worth speak- ing of and the weather, especially on the second day was delightful. The attendance was large but it doubtless would have been larger had it not been for the very threat- ening appearance of the weather in the morning. We have not learned the exact gate amount but we fancy the gate receipts must have at least reached, if they did not exceed, $500. • On Saturday evening, while the southern bound freight on the London, Huron and Bruce Railway was mak- ing up time, and was one mile south of Hensall, some unprincipled wretch threw a stone through the cab window of the engine. The fire- man had a very narrow escape, the missile graz- ing his head. IN Constable McLeod, of Exeter, was in town Sun- day summoning the hotel keepers to appear before Police Magistrate Wil- liams today to answer to the charge of violating the Scott Act. We believe there are complaints against all the hotel keep- ers that were up before but Mr. Kennedy, he being the fortunate exception. Oct. 7,1987 • Construction of the first phase of the enlarged Seaforth Community Hospital could begin as early as November as a result of a building com mittee decision to ask for tenders. • The new 8,200 square foot, one storey build- ing will provide accom- modation for a mental health facility, offices for the health unit and for six professional office suites. A base- ment will provide a ser- vice area. • A local youth has cap- tured the Canadian Jun- ior Plowman Champion- ship for the second time. Paul Dodds, son of Don and Maja Dodds of RR 1 Seaforth is now the fi rst Junior Plowman ever to win the title two consecu- tive years. Oct. 8,1937 • Mr. C.L. Willis, well known Seaforth old boy, was ably assisted by a bear cub in win- ning his game over Dr. McNivern of Victoria, B.C. in the first round of the championship flight, Totem Pole com- petition. Mr. Willis drove off from the sec- ond tee and both play- ers noted the position of the ball on the hilly • fairway. They also noted a young bear in a tree near the ball. On coming over the brow of the hill they saw the cub in full flight towards the hole with the ball in his mouth. He had already covered 100 yards in his journey toward the green before he was overtaken and made to disgorge the ball. Conditions of the • ball, however, made it unplayable. IN The annual field day of the Seaforth Collegiate Institute, held at Agricul- tural Park on Friday afternoon was marked with keen competition in every event. Girls champions were Senior Edith Wallace, Runner-up Unice Cut- ting, Intermediate Clara Dolmage, Runner-up Alma Lawrence, Junior Isabel McKellar, Run- ners-up Doreen Regier and Thelma Dolmage. Boys champions were Senior Ross Rennie, Intermediate Arnold Scott, and Junior Stuart Wigg. Arrangements have been completed to send a car- load of foodstuffs from Seaforth to the Western provinces. The car will be loaded here on Wednes- day, Oct. 20. 2015 Citizenship Award Winners Congratulations to all the 2015 Citizenship Award winners. John Muir won the Service in Sports Award, Ken Papple walked away with the Civic Service Award and Sandra Lee fol- lowed by winning the Humanitarian Service Award.