Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament - From Facebook to filling the streets to filling the ballot box

"What's that?" she asked.

"Well", I replied, "It's a group that I have been following with keen interest, and I think others should too."

"Okay. I'll join. But I don't know anything about politics and don't ask me to do anything."

And so the story goes. Exactly what our politicians count on to continue to run this country. Ignorance and apathy. When the Dominion Institute conducted their poll in 2008 and discovered that approximately half of our population had no idea how our parliament worked, that in itself was a crisis. When our government tried to make it worse by deliberately misleading the Canadian public, that should have been criminal.

For a group that was dismissed as elites and the chattering masses, it seems to be having quite an impact. The right wing pundits try to discredit the rallies, stating it means nothing. Really? When is the last time that many Canadians took to the streets to express their displeasure at the government over anything? In the middle of winter? Oh, I think you would be wise not to dismiss these rallies, Mr. Harper. Don't look now, but the chattering elites are revolting.

I think for most, prorogation isn't the issue. We've heard all the stale right wing talking points. It's the abuse of power. And in this case, it is the straw that broke the camels back. It's not just the chattering elites that are upset. Oh no. It's the "no good bastards" unemployed and the "left wing fringers" women and the list goes on. People know how the Harper government feels about Canadians, and this is just a slap in the face of democracy.

So now, I ask you. Where does this group go? The rallies were great. The flash rallies are great. The 31 days of action are great. Keep the pressure on. But my big concern is getting people who aren't currently engaged in the political process educated and involved. What we want to see is a change in government. We don't want to see "business as usual" when the House resumes on March 3. We don't want to forget that we were slapped in the face. To do that, we need to get people engaged and active. Ignorance and apathy is what they count on. They are the Harper government's secret weapons. What can CAPP do to change that?

I know there are people who are doing a great job of educating and engaging. The challenge should be - get out the vote. It's important to do what CAPP is doing, but it can't end there. The important work will be done during the next election. People who don't traditionally vote need to be educated on the issues. Do the unemployed know that their own government thinks that they are "no good bastards"? Are students aware how their government works and how the decisions made impact them? Maybe if they were engaged, some wouldn't end up with $50,000 student loans when they were finished their degree. These are issues that affect people who should be voting. Why don't they? This is something we need to ask well beyond the scope of the prorogation issue and remind ourselves that our government wants to keep people uninformed.

As part of your 31 days of action, who will you talk to about voting in the next election?