6 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, MARCH 21 2013 EDITOR TANYA HILL lewpoints outh feel shut out of political process Ihe issue of the “youth vote” comes up hearly every election. Elections Canada states that “in Canada as in many other developed democracies, research on electoral participation has confirmed that young people vote less than older people.” There have been many initiatives to try and make voting look cool and a campaign to register young electorates has been going on at Langara. I applaud the effort. In the 2005 B.C. general election only 35% of eligible voters aged 18-24 voted. Elections B.C. have education kits for kids in Grade 5 “The Election Tool Kit” and the Grade 11 kit called ‘Think Choose Vote.” The kits are designed to encourage young people to become active citizens. I don’t blame young people who are disengaged from politics. When politicians are seen as corrupt and deceitful, it’s no wonder youth are disillusioned because many adults are too. The political system is seen by most youth as something they would rather not be apart of. When people in power are only concerned about getting OPINION TANYA HILL re-elected and not actually concerned about issues like climate change, health, and social-economic equality it’s no wonder youth disengage. It’s only when there is an election on the horizon do political parties seem to care about what young people think. What about getting kids involved in civic politics early on? There are programs like B.C. Youth Parliament an organization devoted to providing 16 to 21 year olds a chance to debate issues and a chance to serve ona youth council. Kids younger than 16 want to be actively engaged if given a chance. I think politicians are afraid of youth being engaged because they may want to radically change things. As we have witnessed with the pipeline protests, the Idle No More movement and anti poverty move- ments, young adults are active and they care about how their society functions. The problem is that they feel shut out of the process and protests are the only avenue to have their voices heard. So will this newest youth vote campaign work? If candidates took concerns youth have seriously like education, jobs, the environment and how to surviving a climate of economic uncertainty— then maybe. Youth want a system that they can participate in, and that doesn’t mean just casting a ballot on election day. Too much regulation spoils fun hile it’s a good thing that W:: city of Vancouver wants to expand the venues that arts and music can be performed in the city, the reality of municipal legislation is that it brings with it a lot of bureaucratic barriers. The Arts and Culture Indoor Event pilot project comes from an under- standing that there’s more arts and music being performed in Vancouver than the city is willing to accommo- date, and that it’s only growing. That the city wants to offici- ate what are now illegal shows is a smart move. i A unanimous : vote on March 12 OPI N ION in favour of the bylaw change now GARIN FAHLMAN so nakes it much easier for events to happen in places like warehouses and cafes that are not actually music venues. This is fantastic news for anyone who likes to go see some of the best shows Vancouver can offer, because some of the best shows are often those that take place in a venue that’s not pushing you to buy $8 pints. Many of these shows happen all over the Lower Mainland every week, probably rivaling the number of legal shows, which are more regulated and controlled. What is problematic is the regula- tion and control the city is trying to extend over a portion of the entertain- ment industry that is defined by its lack of regulation and control. Only allowing there to be two in- door events shows per month almost neutralizes any positive change this bylaw could cause. The many, many illegal shows that happen every month will continue to happen, because two is not many. Two is the equivalent of a bureaucratic joke. Vancouver is in dire need of some good news for its arts and music scene, especially with the closing of the Waldorf not long ago, and while this motion initially seemed to carry good news, it is in fact nearly useless to show-goers in its current form. Vancouver is taking a step in the right direction, but needs to acknowl- edge the real value of its arts and culture. By trying to enact too much regu- lation, the best parts of the music and arts scene are going to remain unregulated. Youth Vote: We can't find a job, afford housing or food. Are the politicians oing t , es Elections BC: I'm not sure, but it doesn’t matter......vote or you're grounded! o hel pus? Ge : Canada still testing on animals the sale of any cosmetic product that has been animal-tested. How has Canada not taken this step yet? Not only do we allow animal testing, but there are presently no laws in place regulating its use. Doubtless Canada will inevitably follow this model, but there is no reason it should not have pioneered the movement. Canada has a reputation for leading the western world with certain liberal policies — just look at gay marriage, we inissed a great opportunity to promote this reputation by being first to ban cosmetic animal testing. Since the EU has banned the sale of all animal-tested cosmetics, Canada will no longer be able to take advan- Te: European Union has banned tage of several major export facili- ties. Companies like L’Oreal in Montreal export 90 per cent of its product, and while its manu- facturing plant does no testing on animals, should its parent companies need to test new product they would be banned in the EU. The problem with Canada following suit rather than taking the initiative is that animal testing is a moral decision, and to jump on the bandwagon is a disingenuous way of adopting progres- sive thinking policies. OPINION BRIAN HORSTEAD A major problem with the system is that Canadian law does not require testing cosmetics on animals but manufacturers must find a way to prove their products are safe. Currently the only way to do that is to use animals. This begs the question of just how it has become common place to slather oneself in chemical compounds that have any potential to adversely affect health. Allowing animal testing to con- tinue in Canada is an obvious symp- tom of westernized glamour-culture and has absolutely no place in the 21* century. After all, if animals are similar enough to humans for the results of cosmetic testing to be accurate, how can it be considered ethical to use animals for these tests? Fil fay ce) The Voice is published by Langara College's journalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the staff and are independent of views of the student government and administration. We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must be signed. They may be edited for brevity. Names may be withheld in special cases, but your letter must include your name and phone number. HOW TO REACH US PHONE 604-323-5396 FAX 604-323-5398 E-MAIL thevoice@langara.be.ca DROP-IN Room A226 Langara College There is a mailbox at the entrance to the journalism rooms. SNAIL MAIL The Voice 100 West 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. VSY 226 WEBSITE wwwilangaravoice.com EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE: MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Tanya Hill PAGE EDITORS PAGE 1 Annie Ellison PAGE 2 Bronwyn Scott PAGE 3 Richard Hodges PAGE 4 Brandon Kostinuk PAGE 5 Jennifer Thuncher PAGE 7 Jules Knox PAGE 8 Judy Chem WEB EDITORS Ryan Banagan Gillian Hames Simone Pfeiffer REPORTERS Jesse Adamson Brenna Brooks Patrick Colvin Jesica Cunningham Marie-Andree Del Cid Kristen Harpula Angela Holubowich Kayla lsomura Warren Jane Hailey McDonald James McLauglin Kelci Nicodemus Garin Fahlman Brian Horstead Jacqueline Langen Puneet Dhami Sera Akdogan Ben Bulmer Deanna Cheng Niall Shannon Contact us: Online at langaravoice.com Twitter at @langaraVoice