What scares me

Does it scare me that we live in a world in which the BNP (British National Party) can gain two seats as MEPs in the European elections?

Not really.

What really scares me is that we live in a world in which this was allowed to happen because only 43% of eligible voters actually got off their arses to vote. The BNP actually got less votes than in the previous European election in which they gained no seats whatsoever. But because so few people turned out to vote this time, the BNP won their seats based on the proportion of votes. So now we have two fascist thugs in cheap suits representing us in Europe. Doesn’t that make you feel proud?

It doesn’t take long to vote and polling stations are usually open from early in the morning until fairly late at night. There is no excuse not to do it. I’ve voted in every local, general and European election since I turned 18. As a woman especially I feel proud to be a voter. Women died so that I could put that little X in a box and it makes me thankful that I have a voice, that I have a say in who represents me locally, nationally and internationally. The parties I’ve voted for haven’t always won but at least I can rest easy in the knowledge that I have stood against scum like Nick Griffin, even if I wasn’t wholly successful.

If more people had turned out to vote rather than wallowing in apathy then the BNP would never have won those two seats. The BNP claim that “people like you vote BNP” but that isn’t true. People who don’t vote vote BNP.