To raise awareness of and respect for the freedoms and principles in the Bill of Rights through the creation of monuments and permanent displays in civic spaces across America.
Our goal is to place this legacy front and center at as many State Capitols and in as many Town Squares as possible, elevating the Bill of Rights once and for all to the position of public prominence it deserves, as a clarion call to the generations that follow to pay heed to their American birthright of liberty.
The Bill of Rights is the single most powerful and successful assertion of individual rights and liberties ever written. It is one of history’s most important and influential documents, with an ingenious balance of personal freedoms and political principles that has proven dynamic and durable, becoming the global road map for human rights and the basic demand of people everywhere seeking freedom from oppression.
Why Monuments?Because monuments have a unique way of connecting us with our heritage, by showing each new generation exactly what the generations before them felt was so important that they literally carved it into stone. They make history visible, tangible, and unforgettable; especially for younger people. Anyone who’s ever been to Washington DC, either as or with a child, can testify to that.
Why Now?Because the Bill of Rights is nowhere to be found in our public square,* and barely taught in our schools anymore. This is not just about neglecting our history. The concepts embodied in the Bill of Rights have much light to shed on our current dilemmas. The free exchange of ideas is not just essential to civic discourse; it also produces the innovations that drive prosperity. The system of checks and balances that was designed to limit concentrations of power and the abuses they inevitably cause also promotes transparency and accountability; the lifeblood of free markets. The right to bear arms and the presumption of innocence both put the government on notice as to who is the master and who the servant in our Republic, as timely a message today as ever.
Where Does the Money Go?MyBillofRights.org is an all volunteer group. None of our officers or board members are compensated for their efforts. A minimum of 85% of your contribution goes toward direct project costs. The remainder covers operational costs, such as phones, printing, and social media infrastructure.
*There was not a single permanent display of the Bill of Rights anywhere in America until MyBillofRights.org dedicated our first Town Square Project in 2008, in Montezuma, Iowa. There is still not a single major public celebration of this remarkable document, though we expect that to change in 2012 due to the progress with our monument in Arizona.
