Just setting the scene, its 8 a.m. on Friday and I’m having my first coffee of the day with five very cool, active, and modern Canadian friends.  We’re discussing our very cool, active, and modern projects in Calgary.  We cruise into the topic of aldermanic wards, a very nerdy conversation, and I admit to not really knowing the wards because as a permanent resident of Canada I can’t vote. 
You may have heard, our mayor is a bit of a rock star.  And last summer and fall, the mayoral campaign was a huge Calgary event.  Being my very cool, active, and modern self, I was pretty excited about all the civic pride…and an tad pissed-off that I couldn’t vote.
All last summer, among all the fanfare, my little America self-silently chanted, “Taxation without representation.”  As a property owner in Calgary, I felt my defenses fly up and the fire in my bones flare at the fact that the city wanted my property taxes, but didn’t want my voice – my vote.  My husband  took the brunt of my rants because in public and as a good little American-in-disguise, I’m trying to blend in.  Also, with all the rah-rah, I didn’t want to be the spoil sport.
The mayoral campaign passed and I simmered down.  Until this morning.
Here’s the reality of the “I can’t vote” scenario.  I actually have the power to change that – I can become a citizen.  Here’s the other reality – honestly, I don’t know that I want to.  (Canadian Blasphemy!  Maple Leaves flying!)  My morning coffee group didn’t quite understand this fact.   But I get the confusion, it’s the same way I look at my husband when he tells me he doesn’t really know if he wants a U.S. Green Card.
My decision on staying citizen-free is partially because I’m not ready to deal with immigration again, yet* – and it’s also partially, that I really don’t know if I want Canadian citizenship. (Ahhh, she said it again!  Maple Leaves unite!)
What was fascinating about this morning is how the conversation quickly devolved into “well, if you don’t become a citizen you can’t vote” and “you expect the entire system to change for you”.  I know much was done in jest, but it pointed to how quickly we settle for the status-quo duality.  In reality we never considered, what if municipalities allowed their permanent residents to vote?  Would all chaos break loose?  Would we have a more holistic demographic by which to judge the needs of the city?  Would we become a blueprint for other cities?
I don’t expect the entire system to change for me.  I’m not asking to vote for Premier or Prime Minister, nor do I think I should ask for that.  My Canadian husband started waving his maple leaf when I told him this story and rebuked, “Well, in America you’d never let an immigrant vote for President”. Right, no we wouldn’t.  And that’s not even what I’m talking about.  Put away your maple leaf.
We’ve been told a story that in order to vote you need to be a citizen.  There are two positions to take in this story, and at no point is there allowance for finding agreement.  That’s what happened this morning.  I’m having fun at the Canadians expense today, but the same dynamic exists in the U.S.  We stick to two positions because somebody told us to – and we can’t even see the possibilities between them.
The rational thing to do now that I’ve written this post is to chat with our city officials and propose the option I mentioned above.  And maybe someday Calgary will let me vote.
That would be very cool, active, and modern of them.
*If you know me, then you know my immigration stories.  If not, I’m about to write a post on why I didn’t become a stripper.

Pin It on Pinterest