Working� for� a� State� Thomas� Paine� Day� in� Arkansas

������� A great effort was made this past year to enact a Thomas Paine Day in Arkansas. The Bill in the General Assembly, however,� failed by five votes. Representative Lindsley Smith, sponsor of the Bill, garnered co-sponsors and many votes. TPF member, Jack Makens, of Fayetteville, worked with

Rep. Smith, and he has obtained� signatures of many fellow Arkansans -- including his mayor --on a petition for a permanent, annual Thomas Paine Day every January 29th as a tribute to the eminent patriot-author-political philosopher.� Makens is� joined by Cheryl Cerell, another Paineite and TPF member,� in bringing Paine to wide public attention. These advocates forge on and will bring a Bill for a Thomas Paine Day to the General Assembly again.�

Arkansas State Rep. Lindsley Smith's address to the legislature follows.

���� Thomas Paine was born on January 29, 1737, and while sadly his name is remembered by few, many remember his words

such as: "These are the times that try men�s souls."� While only some still recall his great contributions to the building of our

nation -- many know the name that he gave to this nation: "The United States of America."��

���� Thomas Paine�s writings inspired passion, and he is known for his unique ability to communicate ideas of the American

Revolution in a manner that all could understand and be inspired.� He was viewed as controversial -- for he opposed political

tyranny and was staunchly against slavery, frequently spoke out against slavery, and was one of the earliest writers to publicly

denounce it and other human rights abuses.� His anti-slavery essay, African Slavery in America (which he signed with the name "Justice and Humanity") received

praise from Dr. Benjamin Rush, a leading abolitionist. Paine also anticipated the Declaration of Independence in his essay, A Serious Thought, an essay in which

he also rebukes the acts of slave trading and slave holding.�

���� Paine petitioned for improved wages and conditions for workers, he was one of the first to advocate a world peace organization, he advocated for support of

the needy and elderly, argued for the freedoms of thought and expression, and he argued the importance of universal free education for all boys and girls.�

���� His essay, Rights of Man ( 1791) -- to many considered his greatest work -- included plans for nations to work harmoniously together for the betterment of all their peoples--a radical idea in his time. He wrote, "I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy."

���� Thomas Paine is most known as a principal leader in America for its independence and liberty.� He was the first to suggest a union of the colonies, and before

the Declaration of Independence was issued, he had written of and about the Free and Independent States of America.

���� In his classic and influential essay, Common Sense, he raised the call for independence from Britain, for a democratic form of government based on equal

rights for all, and he set the blueprint for the establishment of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and laws. He supported the American Revolution with his

unparalleled contribution of his personal funds.� He served as an aide-de-camp to General Nathaneal Greene in the war and saw action at Fort Lee, New Jersey.�

His essay The American Crisis (the first of his 16 Crisis Papers) was read to troops and was a morale-builder that helps the Americans to win the battle of

Trenton NJ on Christmas Day, 1776.� The famous opening lines of� The American Crisis being: "These are the times that try men�s souls.� The summer soldier

and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the thanks of man and woman."

����� As John Adams said of Paine, "Without the pen of Paine, the sword of Washington would have been wielded in vain!"� and Adams added, "History is to

ascribe the American Revolution to Thomas Paine."�

����� To commemorate his accomplishments in the building of our nation and laws, states began in 1997 to pass legislation to commemorate a Thomas Paine

Day in their states -- the first state being Virginia and followed soon thereafter by Florida, and since then nine states have passed legislation to proclaim

January 29 Thomas Paine Day. This legislation before you would do the same.

����� I ask for a good vote so that Arkansas too will recognize Thomas Paine Day on January 29th of each year, not as a holiday, but as a recognized Day of Remembrance for all that he did for us and our nation.� 

������� Days before the vote, the Fayettevile newspaper, The Morning News, carried an article (by Christopher Spencer, January 27, 2007):

����� ��"Legislature Eyes Thomas Paine Day -- Founding Father deserves state recognition, sponsor says"� 

FAYETTEVILLE -- It's "Common Sense." Pun intended.� �..."[Paine] reminds us of our nation and how it began and what one person can do to rally us together for a meritorious cause," said [Rep. Smith] of the English-born pamphleteer who penned "Common Sense" months before the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.�...The bill is co-sponsored by a number of other state representative and two senators, including Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville.� .�."It's a shame that he is unknown," said [Jack] Makens. "It's an injustice really that he is stricken from history."

��� From a letter in The Morning News, January 28, 2007:�� "Thomas Paine was a great altruistic man who helped start the American Revolution and who kept people motivated when they wanted to quit. He also brought the beautiful natural way of believing in God to the masses of people, which is called Deism. Many of America's founders were Deists, men like Jefferson, Washington and Franklin. In fact, the Declaration of Independence is a Deistic Document.� Sincerely, [name] "

�..More, on page 5

~� More� of� the� Arkansas� Thomas� Paine� Day� Story� ~

��������������������������� Not surprisingly, defeat of the Arkansas Bill generated notice of Paine in several quarters.

����� Space limits allow for only a few excerpts, which are typical of several items that TPF members sent to the BULLETIN.

������ From, Panning Paine: Arkansas Lawmakers Block Resolution Celebrating American Hero, by Jeremy Leaming, at website of

������ Americans United for Separation of Church and State, February 12, 2007� (www.au.org)

���� Thomas Paine, the 18th-century writer and philosopher who played a significant role in the American Revolution, has been honored by nine states for his invaluable contributions to our nation�s independence. But Arkansas will not be joining the list any time soon.

��� Rep. Lindsley Smith (D-Fayetteville) introduced a resolution that would have designated Jan. 29 as a memorial day for Paine�.

��� �Paine, as Bertrand Russell once noted, "made the preaching of democracy democratic."� What Russell meant was that unlike other lofty messengers of democratic principles of the day, Paine was able to reach all kinds of people. His various manifestos, including Common Sense, resonated with ordinary citizens�.

��� �.Many historians have attested to the fact that Paine was one of the first persons to call for freedom for America. He was also way ahead of America�s other Founding Fathers in calling forcefully for an end to the slave trade�.

��� � Paine�s contributions to America�s birth were not appreciated by enough Arkansas lawmakers. The Paine Day resolution was approved 46-20 last week, the Associated Press reported. But 51 votes are needed for such resolutions to pass. 

��� �Rep. Sid Rosenbaum (R-Little Rock) attacked one of Paine�s books as being �anti-Christian and anti-Jewish.� �[he] was referring to Paine�s The Age of Reason, a two-part dissertation that delved into the author�s theological underpinnings, much of which he shared with another Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson.�

��� �Apparently times have not changed much for some folks. But Russell pointed out in a 1925 article that, �Nowadays�there is very little that most clergymen would disagree with" in Paine�s work.

��� �In the first chapter of The Age of Reason, Paine wrote, �I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life. I believe in the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy.�

��� �It�s sad that too many Arkansas lawmakers are woefully unaware of the genius of Paine.

������ From New York Times, Sunday, February 11, 2007, page 23:

��� Legislation designating Jan. 29 as Thomas Paine Day in Arkansas failed after a member of the state House of Representatives protested Paine�s criticism of religion.

��� �..sponsors of the bill, which fell five votes short in the 100 member body, said they would bring it to the floor again.

��� �..Representative Sid Rosenbaum, however, took exception to Paine�s stated preference for reason rather than religion. 

Quoting from Paine�s [The] Age of Reason, published in the 18th century, Mr. Rosenbaum, a Republican, proclaimed the book �anti-Christian and anti-Jewish.�

��� Allowing that Paine �did some good things for the nation,� Mr. Rosenbaum argued that more time was needed to consider the bill, which had bipartisan sponsorship.

��� Representative Lindsley Smith, a Democrat who presented the legislation to the House, expressed surprise that it provoked controversy.

��� �I think if Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were standing here today, they would give you the same presentation,� Representative Lindsley said. Paine, she added, �should be respected and honored.�

������ From James Tepfer, Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Oxnard College, Santa Barbara CA, and TPF Board Member,

������ in an email� letter to Jack Makens, February 18, 2007

��� �As an avid student of Paine, I have followed your [Makens'] exertions on behalf of Paine with great interest and considerable admiration. Your efforts�are innovative and pro-active and have set a wonderful example for the rest of us. Despite the current setback, I am hopeful that the public discussion of the legislature's refusal to endorse the Resolution will lead to a genuine clarification and understanding of Paine and his religious views. It is my belief that eventually the Resolution will be adopted�

�    �I have attached two items�.first is a document that I researched and compiled for a seminar I did at the Institute of World

Culture last October on Paine's religious thought [see Tepfer's three articles in the BULLETIN, this number, also volume 8, number 1, and

in a future number]...It contains quotes from Paine's various writings on several topics related to religion: from God to Government�

�Paine's own words could help clarify -- at the intellectual level -- his over-all views on God and religion� 

�    �The second attachment is a copy of a brief essay I wrote on Paine [which] portrays [him] as a forerunner of the future as well as a forefather of the past. I believe that Paine's qualities as a thinker and as a person do not simply instruct us about 18th Century history, but point to the possibilities of a more globally oriented future.

������� --Report written by Martha Spiegelman, with material from Jack Makens, Cheryl Cerell, Rep. Lindsley Smith, Maurice Bisheff, James Tepfer

(And see �More Highlights from Arkansas,� page 7)