Does one vote, really make a difference?
If you had asked me that yesterday, I would have hesitated, and said probably not. Not sure if it does today either, but at least there is a glimmer of hope. Why? Because I finally met a politician who seems to care, who may one day be a Cabinet Minister, if not Premier.
David and I, met with MLA Rob Fleming at his Hillside office, and I have to say, I am impressed. Not just by what he said, but simply by the simple fact that he met with us, and didn’t rush us out the door. HE LISTENED!
You have to admit, that is rare today, even for an Opposition Politician. IT is even more rare, when you aren’t complimentary about his boss [Carol James] either, and perhaps that is what sets him apart from some of the others. He appeared to actually be interested in our views, in out thoughts of why we didn’t vote for his party.
Thing is, we aren’t in his riding, which is perhaps what makes this even more remarkable. I mean he took time to listen to us, for about 45 minutes, which says a lot to me.
What was my purpose? When I made the appointment, it was to talk about Health Care, about being an advocate and helping make changes, but that changed. The simple truth is, I doubted that in today’s political climate, that one voice could impact change, could make a difference.
Defeatist perhaps, but it is how things have changed, how hopeless it all seems at times, and so, I went, not to make change, but perhaps to just vent. I DID THAT, but it changed too, because across from me, sat a man who was listening. He was taking notes, as was his assistant, and it struck me. HE DID CARE.
I know, they all say they do, but they rarely look like they mean it. I mean come on, Stephen Harper tells us how he cares, while he snickers behind our backs, and I don’t know if Michael Ignatieff is much better, but Rob Fleming was different.