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For some reason, Americans seem to take more pride and joy in supporting their candidates than we ever have. Obama campaigned in a stadium filled with upwards of 75,000 people. In Canada, no one would ever expect such a crowd to greet a candidate for prime minister.

But we can’t get too caught up in the American election as Canada has kick-started its own campaign. The federal Conservatives played the election card with hopes of bolstering their fragile minority government and Canadians will hit the polls Oct. 14. You can expect me to be there.

My first impression of politics, Canadian or not, has been negative. The tainted blood scandal and the sponsorship scandal, among others, well, after seeing these, it isn’t hard to lose faith in the government.

But as a first-time voter, I’ve come to realize that following Canadian politics is important for many reasons. We, the public, are in a sense hiring our politicians to perform what they’ve promised.

So as “employers,” we need to follow the candidates and make sure they are doing what they were hired to do. 

The issues are vast and various. In this fast-paced society where pleasure-seeking and relativism seem to triumph, our personal beliefs and morals are being pushed aside. For many years, I have supported the pro-life movement financially and spiritually. It is appalling how our democratic country has no laws on abortion.

Then there are the issue of same-sex marriage, the global economy, the environment, a slowing Canadian economy and urban infrastructure. The list goes on.

But one of the bigger issues, for young people, regardless of religious beliefs, is that political parties seem to ignore a huge issue for us and that is rising college tuition and expenses.

It seems that education is becoming a privilege rather than a right. If our politicians would reach out to our schools and provide affordable solutions, then maybe we will begin paying a bit more attention to them.

To those young people, even those young at heart, who might boycott the ballot this election, take heart. We have an enormous role in bringing fundamental change to our political establishment.

If anything, consider joining a Facebook group or detailing your rantings through an online blog. In addition, challenge those candidates who will knock at your door to sell their party������Ƶapp platform. Demand answers to your most important questions.

Buying a lottery ticket, driving a car and scribbling signatures on official documents are just some of the few liberties that we take for granted.

However, one of the most important luxuries that I recently inherited and one that I won’t let slip away is the right to vote.

(Santos is a first-year journalism student at Durham College in Oshawa.)