Your representative in the U.S. House is uniquely positioned to support House Bill 6720, a bill to memorialize America’s “Forgotten Founder” Thomas Paine in Washington, D.C. Please take a moment to urge that.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, introduced legislation earlier this year to authorize the construction of a long-overdue D.C. memorial to Paine, noting: “Despite his catalytic role in founding America and our constitutional republic, Paine remains too often on the dark outskirts of history.” It is way past time for Congress to give Paine the central place of respect and awe he deserves in our nation’s capital. The bill has now been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee, and your representative is on it. Without passing this committee, this bill will not reach the House floor.
This noncontroversial bill is one that members of Congress on both sides of the aisle can unite over. Without Paine, the United States of America would not exist. His writings in Common Sense and Crisis made the case for American independence and sparked the American Revolution. To freethinkers he is revered as the author of The Age of Reason, to freedom lovers everywhere for proclaiming “The world is my country” and for working to advance freedom, equality and democracy.
Please take a moment to use our automated system to send a message to your rep. (Feel free to personalize the message or edit as you see fit.)
