Tonight was Maclean’s National Leader Debate. If you missed it, the #macdebate hashtag will lead you to some insightful thoughts and some useless rants.

Though we lived away from Canada, we voted.

Since returning to Canada, we have voted.

Not because we are the ultimate Canadians or champions of electoral rights, but rather we simply found it impossible to live amongst people who have gone to war, sacrificed, and offered their lives to gain the right to vote, and then simply allow voter apathy to render us inactive.

The right to vote.

Not a given right. A right that many people around the world only dream of. A right that many people have died in pursuit of. A right that we have grown up with and a right we are inclined to take for granted.

People died so you could vote. Not a guilt trip. It’s a fact.