Finally, after 6 weeks of almost nonstop rain, we had a beautiful sunny weekend in the Valley. Summer has finally decided to turn up, even if just for a couple of days. However, the tourists stayed away. The place is deserted.
There is one simple reason for that. Presidential Elections are being held Sunday and people are staying home to vote. If you grew up in a Socialist country you would know that the right to vote is not a human right, but a hard fought freedom.
Last year I was on a motorbike trip in Portugal with a group of Polish people. On the day of the Polish Parliamentary election they all rode 300km to the Polish Embassy to cast their votes. People here and friends of mine got beaten up by riot police while protesting, demanding the end of Socialism and the right to vote. The next weekend they went out and did it all again.
Often on this website, I read comments by people saying things like “What’s the point?”
Even though I believe in what New Conservatives are saying, they won’t get in, so what’s the point?
Even though a stronger ACT vote will get them one more seat, it will not change the government, so what’s the point?
National is now so far left that they are the same as Labour, so what’s the point?
So let me say on behalf of all the people here who literally shed blood for the precious gift of voting: How Dare You! How dare you throw away your ability to vote. Vote for what you believe, even if it is a wasted vote, because the world has shown us that you and your children can easily lose that previous freedom.
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