By now I'm sure you've noticed the change in the header at the top of the screen, as well as the Blog's name. I initially started this blog as a half comedic, half political enterprise, so the moniker "Serious Political Satire" seemed to fit. In fact, my very first post was comedic in nature and the nutty posts continued for quite some time. But as Bush's tenure in office drew to a close and more and more evidence of American torture began to surface, I felt less funny. My playfulness eventually turned into anger at the peak of the McCain campaign.
So now you know the story behind the Blog's original title, and now its new one. The quote by Thomas Jefferson is from a letter written to Charles Yancey on January 6th, 1816. Although Jefferson often commented on how much he hated the press, he always believed that a free press would lead to a freer people. But he strongly believed in the people's responsibility to remain informed. He finishes his letter with, "Where the press is free and every man able to read, all is safe." He wrote the letter from his mountain getaway, Monticello. I originally wanted to use "Confined to Truth" as the Blog's title, which also comes from a Jefferson quote. But I like this quote because it emphasizes a person's responsibility to be privy to the workings of their government. Hopefully it makes sense, because I spent a lot of time deliberating over what quote I should use. Everything down to the quote's font (French script to pay homage to Montesquieu's influence on the Constitution) was put into consideration.
Even though that writing for a legal newsletter and working for a local paper leaves me little time for this blog, I still believe in its goals. The ultimate purpose of this blog is to offer an opinion that is passionate, intelligent, and places an emphasis on freedom. Hopefully its new look helps it accomplish those goals.
