Today I took my son with me as I voted in the advanced polls for the federal election. I joked with my wife that I was introducing him to voting based on what you’re afraid of. Conservative supporters seem, to me, to be afraid of immigrants and poor people and change, while people more like me are basically afraid of the Conservatives forming another government. And I suppose that Conservative supporters may primarily be afraid of the Liberals or—even worse—the NDP forming a government.
Later on, we walked by a parking lot that had been transformed recently during Nuit Blanche. My wife had been there1 and described how they had put up large chalkboards at the open edges of the parking lot, which had made the space a lot more cozy and intimate. Having politics on my mind, I made the comment that “liberals and progressives generally like to commend openness and a lack of boundaries but they sure do seem universally appealing and comforting.” I guess the key thing is recognizing the human need for boundaries, while ensuring that they’re permeable, and continuing to question if they’re deployed properly.
- I was home with the kid. We used to go out together. ↩
3 responses to “Fear and Boundaries”
Payton Swick liked this on Facebook.
It seems as if we both have the same fear. I too do not want the Conservatives to win and I definitely have to vote to cancel out your dad’s vote for them.
Isabella Polimeni liked this on Facebook.