Apathy

Every evening I turn on the news and somewhere in the world a person fights for their right to chose, a freedom that we in the UK appear to have become apathetic about, based on the uneventful PCC election figures.

Maybe it’s the media saturation of events beyond our control but I found it rather alarming that the turn out for yesterday’s PCC election was only 15.2%

It’s been less than a hundred years since women won the right to vote in the UK and then you had to be over 30 and a woman of means to be allowed a ballot paper.

So in truth an 18 year old who has more control over their body rights than their voice as they have only been able to vote since… 1969

Only last month a young girl fought her military oppressors for the right to go to school and was shot in the head. We were all shocked. That couldn’t happen here.

What bothers me is that if approximately 85% of the population failed to take an interest in the recent PCC election for a police commissioner in their area then I must presume that anywhere up to +40% of these were women/female voters like me.

Busy women with lives, jobs, careers and children to collect and deliver to various after school activities.

And in fairness I can see how easily this PCC event could have been overlooked. I didn’t see a leaflet drop in my area- and I don’t recall any local news coverage of the candidates- in fact the little news coverage of the event happened once it was upon us. However I knew the event would take place when my polling card landing on my door mat.

This meant I had to find the relevant information on the web to make an informed choice.

Perhaps some people didn’t have that access, or the time. But then again a voice can be heard even if it’s to make a protest vote by voting against the candidate who is most likely to win, or one who represents a party you don’t agree with.

I think what troubles me more is… slowly we seem to becoming disenfranchised; this government is keen to save money and targets those who can least afford the cuts and maybe the least likely people to protest until the decision hits them hard in the pocket.

When I went to vote yesterday- a mortuary would have been a busy venue than my Polling station!

I literally had the village hall to myself and a row of waiting smiles that finally someone had shown up. Compare that with USA where we saw TV images of long lines of people waiting inline for more than fours hours to vote last week.

Admittedly there had been a rather large build up to that event but…

I for one am an old fashioned feminist, I have to stand up and be counted.

I may not win but I will not go unnoticed. Nor left unheard.