One I never met. The other I only met once on the White Cliffs of Dover.
I was no more than six years old. We played cricket with a bright, red ball. The unkempt grass above the chalky drop-off threatened to gobble it up. The day was cold; the sky grey. And Grandpa had trouble seeing the ball when it plopped down in front of him. That's my only memory of him.
Before I became a teenager, he joined my other grandfather in the ground. For many years I didn't think about them. I had summer-night bonfires to attend, boys to impress, homework to complete and later, the world to explore. By the time I stopped to take a breath, I had forgotten both their names.
Then it hit me. I had travelled through continents with no more than a few quick interrogations by border crossing officials. In Canada, I helped elect Parliament. As a reporter, I'm free to write on political issues without interference. My grandfathers, both veterans, are a part of that.
By 1950, post-WWII momentum toward decolonization and the reconstruction of Europe pushed the number of democratic states on the planet upward. In that year, 22 democracies housed 31 per cent of the world's population, reported the World Forum on Democracy that took place in Warsaw, Poland. By 2000, 58.2 per cent of humanity lived in one of 120 countries with electoral democracies, the forum stated.
That upward movement is continuously threatened. Last year represented the fifth consecutive year in which global freedom was in decline, according to independent watchdog organization Freedom House. The number of electoral democracies dropped from 123 in 2005 to 115 in 2010. That's of the 196 countries on the planet.
Media is also being hit. After two decades of progress, reporters are being clamped down upon in almost every part of the world, noted Freedom House. Today only 15 per cent of the world's citizens live in countries that enjoy a free press.
There are so many things I would have loved to say to my grandfathers, George and Cyril. Firstly, thank you. It's a sentiment that comes to mind whenever I see veterans.
Then I would like to share a laugh or two about politicians. Maybe we'd talk about the needed infrastructure upgrades facing all municipalities. Or maybe it would be something further afield, like Greece's economy. But whatever the subject, we would all talk openly, freely and without fear of reprisal.
When I mark an X next to a candidate's name on Nov. 19, something deep inside of me will tug. There will be a feeling of pride, mixed with sombreness for those who shed blood for this right and those who are still fighting around the world. There's hope too; a reminder of how beautiful humanity can be when banding together to forge a better future.
My vote is a silent tribute to my grandfathers, one that no matter how I vote, I'm sure they'd smile at.
