Intolerant of free thought? Us?

[Dardedar]

From the Arkansas News. Great article.

Intolerant of free thought? Us?

Posted on 03 January 2009

By John Brummett

Our state Legislature will get a second chance to designate Jan. 29, the birthday of Thomas Paine, as Thomas Paine Day.

It wouldn’t be an actual holiday. We’d simply take official notice.

Rep. Lindsley Smith’s effort to get this done two years ago failed in the House of Representatives. Legislators got hold of some of Paine’s writings and went all religiously ballistic on them.

It behooves us, then, to consider the matter and man anew.

Superficially, Paine is admired in America for coming here from England at Ben Franklin’s invitation and writing a pamphlet called “Common Sense.” Paine’s message was so strikingly clear and compelling that it significantly inspired our nation’s revolution.

But there are others who admire Paine in greater philosophical depth. They are dedicated so-called freethinkers. They have their own freethinking societies. They celebrate the daring and courage of holding, expressing and arguing views that contradict popularity and convention.

[...SNIP]

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John Brummett is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau in Little Rock.

Read the rest here

[L.Wood]

.

Back in the 1970s a group of college students took the
Declaration of Independence and rewrote it in modern English.

They then began a multi state survey and asked people if they would sign the declaration, complete with name and address
and allow the petitioners to send it to their Congressmen. Most of those queried said NO because they did not agree with
the ideas.

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