Apathy and Indifference

All in all a pretty good week. Got fitted for my latest knee brace and am being scheduled for knee surgery. I can’t wait to get the intensity back in my training. I really appreciated the messages of condolences on the death of Sophie. Her personality filled any room she entered. My world will always be a little bit brighter because of the time I was fortunate enough to share with her.

My province has voted to keep the present government in power with an overwhelming majority. Since Alberta is responsible for one third of the greenhouse gases produced by Canada, I was hoping, and assuming, that Albertans were going to send a strong message this election that economic growth needs to be tempered with ecological sustainability. I am trusting that Ed Stelmach will look at the overall election results and not just the final seat count in the legislature. He only received about half of the popular vote of the 41% of eligible voters who actually chose to cast their vote. The results show that only 20% of eligible voters endorsed the current government. With the looming US recession threatening to shift more attention back to the economy away from the environment, this wishy-washy mandate could not have come at a worse time.

I am surprised and a little dismayed at the level of public apathy displayed in this election. This was our opportunity to facilitate change and make a difference but over half of us chose to not even speak up. I can accept a difference in ideology or opinion but I absolutely do not accept indifference. Our silence affected the outcome of the election. This outcome will help determine the state of the world our children and grandchildren inherit. With everything that is at stake, why would anyone accept indifference or be apathetic about how our government is run?

This is why I am passionate about The Alabama Project. This project that Tom Callos has created strikes right at the heart of the fight against indifference. While my pending knee surgery will more than likely preclude me from physically contributing, I am committed to raising $1000 to support the project and I will be there in spirit.

“So much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating effect.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962)