Why Sedente Animo? Who is Sal Atticum?
Too often, when it comes to political discussions, people let their emotions get the better of them. They say things they would never say otherwise, particularly when the discussion is taking place online.
Translated into English, the Latin phrase “sedente animo” means “with calm mind”. Hopefully, with the help of whatever readers this website may attract, the issues of the present and past can be examined with calmness and objectivity.
Sal Atticum is not a person, it is another Latin saying meaning “dry wit”. While I would like this place to remain civil and objective, that doesn’t mean you should be able to cut the seriousness with a knife. Levity can be a virtue.
Aren't there enough blogs on current events?
For a long time, I felt that way. But recently, I've been thinking that I'm wasting an opportunity to express my opinions. Don't misunderstand, my opinions are the same as anyone else's -- couple them with $5.50 and you can get fuel, either a gallon of gas or cup of Starbucks coffee -- but that doesn't mean my voice shouldn't be heard.
Blogs and bloggers have often been compared to the pamphets and pamphleteers of the early years in this nation's history. The analogy is a good one, however, not everyone in those times had the means to produce their own publication. But, It's reasonable to assume that if printing a pamphlet in 1790 was as easy as publishing a blog in 2006, there probably would have been a lot more of them.
In other words, it is your civic duty to participate in the discussion of the times, either over the fence post with your neighbor or on an online forum. As Thomas Jefferson said, "the informed citizen is the cornerstone of democracy." Contributing to the discussions of the day is part of doing that.
What do you plan to write about here?
Events. Past, present, and future [actually, I may not divulge those, but take them to Las Vegas instead].
Sounds reasonable. Who are you?
For professional reasons I will be using a pen name.
Putting food on the table comes first and foremost, and while I hope to keep this site a civil place, inevitably, there will be people that will call me a "right-wing wack-job". The last thing I want is someone in my professional arena "googling" my real name and finding derogatory remarks about me. Cop out? Probably. And at some point my true identity will probably be revealed. But hey, I've always wanted to say "my true identity".
Call me Dr. Roger MacLaurens, "Doc" for short.
