'Priceless gift' coming to city

2003-11-30
By Norman Lear

Months before the events of Sept. 11, 2001, I learned that an original copy of the Declaration of Independence was for sale. Since I was only a few blocks away from the auction house where the document was on display, I decided to go see it. It was an impulsive decision that changed my life. As I stared at the Declaration -- a poster-size broadside printed by
Philadelphia printer John Dunlap on the evening of July 4, 1776 -- two staggering thoughts came to mind.

First, I thought, I'm staring at our nation's birth certificate and one of the most eloquent statements about human aspirations for freedom and self-governance in history. I could not hold back a tear.

My second thought was that this birth certificate belongs to Americans everywhere, people from all walks of life, from every generation. If I could possibly obtain the Declaration, I would not hang it on some wall. It would travel across our nation, to big cities and small towns, to capitol rotundas, public libraries and local museums.

I was confident that every American would welcome the opportunity to view the document. How could I not try to acquire it? So I did.

With Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford as the honorary co-chairs, we launched the Declaration of Independence (DOI) Road Trip, with the help of many partners, including The Home Depot, the U.S. Postal Service, AXA Financial, Inc., the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Annenberg Foundation. The idea was to bring the Declaration of Independence directly to the people so that they could experience the same magic I did when I first encountered it, so they'd be moved to think deeply about the values on which our great nation was founded.

The DOI Road Trip is about showing the connections between our past, present and future. It's about inspiring and educating all Americans, especially young people, to reinvigorate our democracy by getting involved and, above all, by voting.

Perhaps more than any other, this generation has seen firsthand that our remarkable system of self-governance is not an inevitable condition that will somehow take care of itself. As a fragile creation of humans just like you and me, it requires our constant care and participation. I hope this exhibition of the Declaration will inspire all Americans -- especially today's young people -- to care, to participate and to make a difference.

The DOI Road Trip's next stop is the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, where the Declaration will be displayed in a special multimedia exhibit, beginning Friday through Dec. 14. I hope the people of Oklahoma City will come and personally experience this magnificent document.

One visitor said it best, after viewing the exhibit: "The Declaration is awe-inspiring, and a wonderful way to teach our children about the priceless gift of freedom that they have inherited and must prepare to carry on."

Lear, an award-winning television producer and creator of "All in the Family," is the founder of the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way. He and his wife, Lyn Lear, are sole owners of the Declaration copy that will be on display in Oklahoma City.

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