GROUP GROPE

There are so many reasons that I have declined, over the years, to run for public office.

Privacy. Boring company. Tedious meetings, hearings.

But way up there at the top of the list is this reason:

Ethnic Voting.

I am interested in public policy, in what useful and helpful roles governments might have in the lives of the common weal.

The color of your skin, your choice of worship, your sexuality are completely none of my business and I don't want to hear about it, thanks.

If I were to run for office, I would not suddenly court "the Jewish vote." Or any other group that wants to claim special status to the exclusion of any other group that claims special status.

Of course, this naive and unrealistic position would guarantee that I would never be elected.

Today's headline is a disgusting case in point:

South Asian votes key to leadership races

Liberal and NDP candidates are aggressively pursuing support from a community that will play a major role in many of the province's ridings, with varying degrees of success

I know. You don't have to yell at me.

Fighting this insidious nonsense is about as productive as complaining about cell phones and texting.

It is simply not in my range of acceptability that you or I should vote for Avtar or Bennie or Bruce because he or she is Sikh or Jewish or gay or purple or green.

But I am not very bright and that is why it's a good thing that I don't run alongside all the honorable candidates.