We need to stop voting on social media

If you’d asked me even a week ago if Britain would ever leave the European Union, my response would have been an emphatic “No”. Well, over 17 million UK citizens (52%) voted to leave the EU compared to 48% who voted to stay, sparking all kinds of reactions and turmoil across the world. Now, what I’m going to say next might offend some people but I’m going to say it anyway. I’m kind of relieved following reports that some of those who voted to leave had no clue what the European Union is and what it stands for. You probably heard about the frantic EU Google searches in the hours after the Leave Camp triumphed. Proponents of the Leave Campaign don’t even know what to do with their ‘win’. The reason I say I’m relieved is that at least there’s a plausible explanation for something many of us thought was inconceivable. Some clueless people exercised their right to vote and here we are, looking at the beginning of the end of the European Union as we know it. More countries want to leave now and it’s only a matter of time before they will do so. It’s good that those on whose watch this happened have taken responsibility, most notably Prime Minister David Cameron who had no choice but to resign. More resignations should be tendered in my opinion. Like those in charge of the country’s Education system because I don’t understand how students in the most ill-equipped schools in Africa without electricity, Wifi or even desks know all the European Union and people in the UK don’t. Ask most Primary School kids and they will tell you when the EU was formed, name the member countries and who’s trying to join. I also think that in the wake of Brexit, we need to reform Democracy and revoke some people’s voting rights or something and I know I sound ridiculous but I think we need to take certain issues seriously. Where things like Finance and Security are concerned, we need to look into who’s having a say because these are global issues and a decision taken by people in Britain is affecting billions around the world as we speak. Florists in Kenya are anxious about their future as are traders in South Africa, India, China, Australia and elsewhere. Aid and trade deals are going to be affected and so will people’s incomes and all because a few politicians were trying to score cheap political points. I’m also calling out those who vote on Social Media but don’t bother to turn up on Election Day. You can crack jokes on Twitter, Facebook and other Social Media Networks all day about how a particular candidate has no prospects but at the end of the day, it’s people who queue up to cast their ballots whose votes matter. If enough “Smart” people had put their phones and devices away for a few minutes and actually gone out to vote, maybe Britain would still be part of the EU. It’s similar to what people are saying about Donald Trump and how he can’t be elected president. Just you wait.

Lifestyle

We need to stop voting on social media