Election MMDCCLXV/Gnaeus Iulius Caesar

Cn. Iulius Caesar sal.

In respect of my candidacy for Censor, I will keep it to the point.

I had an opportunity to view the workings of the censura as a scribe in 2011. Albeit it was for a short time, but it was very instructive. I hope to take the observations and impressions I formed and look for ways to improve its processes. Some might say there are none to be had, or that everything is just fine as it is, or if it could be better it would be to revert to even more laborious and time consuming restrictions that used to be in place.

I am not one of those people.

The censura has been long overdue for a window to be opened and to blow away the cobwebs and dust that to my mind has clearly accumulated. There is a narrow opportunity to be had after someone applies to join Nova Roma before apathy sets in to the whole citizenship process if the application stalls or becomes overly complex. Some may say that those that survive this waiting period are the most dedicated. That maybe, that maybe, but we have also lost far too many people in my estimation who might have contributed had we seized upon the moment of enthusiasm and welcomed them with open arms. Sadly though the entire process seems to have the potential to drag out far too long. Joining Nova Roma should not be the equivalent of completing a military obstacle course while under live fire.

Therefore I will value the opportunity to work with my old friend Censor Paulinus to open some windows, blow some dust balls out the door, retire some redundant processes, to keep what works and is good and vacuum up what isn't good or which is counter-productive to the goal of taking the willingness of someone to join us and expediting the process.

Now I may hear, and would be surprised if I didn't, how I don't know what I am talking about, how we have to be selective over who gets into the censura, how Nova Roma is full of unsavory characters that must be kept out of the censura at all costs. Well I have heard it all before and I don't buy it. Nor do I buy that only a select academically gifted few should be allowed in its hallowed doors to be scribes and that if censors must recruit others, that those others need to be kept on a short leash and closely supervised by the censurial nanny. I don't buy that either. It sounds like jobs for a select few. Nor do I buy that only a select few can validate a Roman name. All these reasons to me smack of excuses to keep a tight lockdown on who ever gets a chance to participate in the censura.

Of course I will select those who I feel can be trusted, clearly don't tell lies and can do the job, but I wouldn't be deferring to the views of the select few to let them vet my choices. They are scribes that serve at the pleasure of the censors, and censors are magistrates. It is a clear division of responsibility. Anything else smacks of being a closed shop. I never have liked those.

Change maybe coming to the censura ;)

Optime valete