Introductions
Hi. You don’t know me. Keep reading and you will. I’m a Winnipegger much like yourself, and I’ve lived here nearly my entire life. I’ve travelled overseas but my heart will always lie in this forgotten city. There’s just something about it. The mosquitoes, the winters, the road construction – I’m a glutton for punishment. Still, sitting back on a warm spring evening cracking a beer and enjoying the clear skies – you’ll never fully appreciate it unless you’ve been through one of our bitter winters.
Right now you’re probably thinking, “What’s this guy on?” I admit; I’m a bit of a nutjob. I do have an idea though and I think it’s a good one. As Winnipeggers, we understand the power of community; the strength of unity and communication. We can use the Internet to get to know each other better, to reinforce our unique society. I’ve started a website, WinnipegForums.ca, where we can all get together and chat. That’s the beauty of the Internet – it’s the great equalizer. Everyone has a voice and nobody can speak louder than anyone else.

Interest in politics is on the decline. Quite a few people around me don’t know what’s going on with the upcoming elections, and some frankly don’t care. This upsets me. We live in a blessed country; able to exercise the will of the people to invoke change in the way we live. Has everyone lost interest?
Voter apathy. Why has this meme* entered into our consciousness? Does it mean we’re lazy, that we’re sheep? Do we have the intelligence to question the course set by our lack of interest? I question. My buddies and I have a saying: Learn to question, question to learn. We question everything and in doing so we learn a lot about the world around us. Let me tell you, there is a lot to question.
WinnipegForums.ca is a non-partisan, not for profit site dedicated to questioning the values of our elected leaders. We must make sure that the interests of the people are being represented by the majority. That’s what democracy stands for, rule by the majority. If the minority disagrees, they hold the responsibility of convincing those in the majority that they’re wrong. This is discussion, conversation and what it really means to be human in our times.
This world is a confusing place. Through the news, we witness all the events taking place in the world that are terrible, horrible and foreign to our sedate (in comparison) life. This is the world we live in. We must come to terms with it, or we’ll become distant from our global problems. However, our true strength lies in our power to change our own city, and our own country. Let’s sit down and talk about some of the issues. Maybe we can create some new ideas that will resonate with the majority of the people. Everyone is connected by six degrees of separation to everyone else on the planet. (In Winnipeg it’s probably closer to 1 or 2 degrees!) Who knows what events will occur because of actions we take? What better way to be confident about the choices we make then to have fleshed out the possibilities with your neighbours.
The elections are right around the corner. If you like the thought of local discussion and debate, then make sure you go to WinnipegForums.ca and check it out. It’s free to register and registration is required if you want to post messages. If you want to lurk anonymously go right ahead, but a forum is always better when everyone contributes their ideas. Who knows? You might change someone’s perception of an issue, or even (god forbid) change your own. If you like it, tell a friend. Spread the word. You know the score.
*meme (m m): A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.