The Apple Club Newsletter, Spring 2007, Page 3

As the years pass by, we get an opportunity to vote for candidates of our preference every now and again, in the various elections that take place.
This year, it is a general election, and I look forward to doing my little bit towards having a small say in the future of our country.
In my experience, there are a number of ways to make a change via the democratic process. One is to go out and vote for a candidate whose policies you agree with. Every one of us is offered this opportunity, and I have yet to miss voting in any election, as I feel that using my vote is a duty that should not lightly be put aside.
Another possibility is to have a talk with the election candidates that approach your door, and to try to persuade them of the importance of some issue that is of relevance to you. If you are the only voter to mention the issue, it may not carry much weight, but if many people mention the same issue, the message quickly gets back to those who run the country, that something needs to be done. And while it is not always easy for the politician to solve the problem, at least if they are aware of it, something may happen. I often find it handy to have a list of issues stuck up inside the front door, so that I won't forget them, as I can be forgetful at the best of times.
The third possibility is to go out and canvass or volunteer to work for a particular politician or political party. If enough people become involved, it increases the chance of the party entering government, and
improves the likelihood of the policies of a particular party being implemented.
I am a member of the Green Party, and joined because of my concerns for the environment, especially the global environment, which is badly threatened by global warming. I believe that the overwhelming threat to the future of human society is that presented by global warming, and that the existing political parties cannot be trusted to take meaningful steps to tackle the issue, as more immediate problems have always received higher priority.
And so I would like to take a moment to canvas you, the reader, to support your local Green Party candidate with your No.1 vote. Even if the candidate is not elected, every extra green vote propels the message to whoever forms the next government; that now is the time to tackle global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Not only that though, the Green Party has excellent policies on everyday issues too.
So, wherever you are in Ireland, please vote Green.
See www.greenparty.ie for more information.

Newsletter Spring 2007		page 3 of 4

Another election