Democracy Part 1...

Hi Friends
Well once again our political system is back under the microscope. This time in a community I know quite well; my home reserve.
I have blogged extensively about election reform, and have opined on many of the bad chiefs, and even taken the part of many maligned others, over some questionable behavior.

This time as I mentioned, it will not be such a blind defending or even a carefully criticizing of chiefs and councils that I know only by name or deed. No, this time I will be able to put names and faces together, along with my personal knowledge of the personalities of the individuals involved.

First things first. A news story broke this week in several media outlets about some disgruntled citizens of an Ontario reserve, writing an anonymous letter asking for a forensic audit or RCMP probe of their community after learning that their community faces a cash crunch. Most disturbing to me, as a lover of democracy, was that these community members felt only comfortable enough to be anonymous...This was way more than disheartening to me because, as I have said, I know this community and even ran for council myself in the past election.
I obviously did not succeed, but the people had spoken, and I was excited to have participated in the democratic process. I took away from this experience some new friendships and even met some distant relatives of mine. A win, win, sort of situation for me.

What is happening today however is much sadder than any election loss, for me, could be. What is now going on in my community is about as far away from democracy as you could possibly get. The people are too afraid of their elected officials to pose a direct question, openly, without fear of reprisal, (why else remain anonymous) from their elected government.

Only the most unrepentant of tyrants would not feel shame over this sorry turn of events. As a lover of democracy I urge you to get on with the request of your electorate and put to bed this notion of our reserve being nothing more than a banana republic.

I dare say, if it were me I'd be anxious to get on with this request from my community, if for no other reason, but to clear my good name.

regards Debra