PARIS, FRANCE – We justifiably disagree with governments from time to time and proceed to vote them out of office. Does this mean we can choose to ‘bomb’ them out too?
We in Canada just had another federal election (last September). The Trudeau Liberal government was in a minority position in Parliament and was one non-confidence vote away from a mandatory election. I guess they thought that by calling an unnecessary vote – they did have until 2023 or even 2024 before having to go to the polls – they could perhaps gain enough seats to get a majority.
They did not. In fact, after all was said and done they ended up pretty much exactly where they were when the writ was dropped. This made a lot of Canadians wonder why we went through the whole thing in the first place (estimates on how much the election cost the taxpayer ranged as high as $610 million!) and the voter turnout actually dropped by almost 10%. In the end we got the status quo ante.
I worked both the advanced voting and election day as a returns officer and I cannot tell you how many of my fellow riding residents confided in me that they were not pleased at having to vote so soon after the previous poll. It was as if they were exercising their democratic duty/right/privilege but holding their noses while doing so.
At least the whole process unfolded peacefully. No one died and no one tried to use violence to prove a point.
Something very different transpired in France in the late 19th century.
On this day in 1893
The French anarchist Auguste Vaillant threw a homemade bomb from the gallery of the French Chamber of Deputies. As it was not a very good device, only 20 members of the body were lightly injured. For his crime Vaillant was immediately arrested, tried, convicted and guillotined on February 5, 1895.
Death to the Bourgeoisie! Long live Anarchy!
Vaillant’s last words
In the end this terrorist did not achieve much and the wave of anarchist bombings, stabbings and shootings that plagued the West in the late 19th and early 20th centuries petered out. I wonder if Vaillant ever thought of just spoiling his ballot to make his displeasure felt? I guess we’ll never know.
Read More Today in Terrorism
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On May 31, 1906 a Spanish anarchist threw a bomb hoping to hit King Alfonso XIII, killing 24 and wounding more than 100.
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May 29, 2016: ISIS uses chlorine gas in terrorist attack
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