Arkansas Dismisses Thomas Paine 'On Religious Grounds'

It's not that I wish to be controversial. But the population of Arkansas to me,(a British screenplay writer) seems to be suffering from mass amnesia in the matter of Thomas Paine.

The idea of having a day to celebrate the life and achievements of the great Thomas Paine (1737-1809) has been rejected by your State on 'religious grounds'. Mmmm. And is this not the same Arkansas which ratified the Constitution of the USA, in which religion and state were separated ? What IS the 'religion' that would find the approval of Arkansas ? Would you, on 'religious grounds' dismiss anyone who disagreed with you if you were a Muslim, a Protestant, a Cathlolic, a Mormon, a Hindu, a Buddhist, or a man of no religion at all. Geez ! Tou guys can do this to Thomas Paine, the man who did more for Arkansas and for the USA than ANY politician ?

Must you be reminded, sleepy Arkansas, of Paines huge achievements in America ? Or his tremendous courage in bringing democracy ? Who was it Arkansas who invented the idea of the 'United States of America' other than Thomas Paine - this 4 fully years before Jefferson, Washington or anyone else ? Who first wrote against the slave trade than Thomas Paine ? Who first advocated a pension for all old people ? It was Thomas Paine. Who, sleepy Arkansas, has not a single statue or memorial to him in Washington DC - of all the founding fathers of the USA ? None but Thomas Paine. And who, dear Arkansas, spent his entire life (in times when he was a hero and times when he was simply ignored by the emerging elites in Washington) fighting more for 'government by the people and FOR the people' than the same Thomas Paine.

Well, in a cheap boarding house room on the outskirts of New York, this man, who you hardly even wish to commemorate, died, shunned by the very indifference which you, sleepy Arkansas, have just repeated in denying him, your chief founding father, any civic recognition, yet again, in your public consciousness. And this on 'religious grounds' so vague that I wonder if you, on reflection, are not sometimes ashamed ?

In 2009 there will be commemorations across the USA to commemorate the greatness and the marvellous legacy of this man. I hope, at that time, by that time, you, sleepy Arkansas, will have learned what true greatness is - the service to mankind that was the life and work of a great and ordinary man, Thomas Paine.

Regards

Robert Newman
Screenplay Writer (temporarily here in Florida)
'Tom Paine'

Nice one, Robert. We will be commemorating Paine in Diss, Norfolk, England, throughout 2009, as he worked as a staymaker here in 1765-66. Visitors welcome. I run the museum.

I don't know where 'Wellingborough UK' came from. I come from Diss, Norfolk.