WHO-FILES
September 15, 2003
Norman Lear, television and movie producer
TFK Kid Reporter Danielle talks with the man behind the Declaration of Independence Road Trip
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On September 10, 2003, more than 200 kids gathered at the Time & Life Building in New York City to celebrate one of America's most cherished documents. An original copy of the Declaration of Independence is currently touring the U.S.
 |  Danielle listens as Norman Lear shares his views on the Declaration. |
Television and movie producer Norman Lear and his wife, Lyn Davis Lear, purchased an original copy of the historic document in 2000 in order to show it to people, especially kids, around the country. I sat down with Mr. Lear to discuss the Declaration and what it means to us.
TFK: Two years ago, you purchased an original 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence. What led you to purchase this piece of history and what do you hope your road trip will accomplish?
Norman Lear: There are 25 copies in the world. The other 24 are hanging on walls, or they're in vaults, or in places where nobody knows. We thought it would be great to bring this document to the people. And that's exactly what we're doing, because the Declaration of Independence is the single page on which, from a values standpoint, everything else rests. On it rests the Bill of Rights and the Constitution and what this country is about.
|  Kids practice voting on machines. Lear says voting is one of the most important things citizens can do. |
Norman Lear: The Declaration of Independence ends with 'We pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.' We, as Americans today, only have to pledge some energy and time to register and vote to be active participants in our democracy. We're in that place in the world where every citizen matters, and if you're 18 and you're eligible to vote, you must matter.
So I think the most important lesson is that we no longer have to pledge our lives and our fortunes to be citizens. We don't have to fight a revolution. We have to register and vote.
TFK: I read that your grandfather used to write letters to the White House. Did you learn from his activism?
Norman Lear: I lived with him for a few years so he would read them to me, and every letter started 'My dearest darling Mr. President.' He agreed with him most of the time so he would say thank you for this, or I'm glad you did this. But sometimes he disagreed a lot and the letter started the same way - 'My dearest darling Mr. President. Didn't I tell you last week that you shouldn't ... '(Laughs)
|  A student answers a question about the Declaration of Independence. |
Norman Lear: Actually, it was Time Magazine that invited us to come on September 11th, so we're their guests. We've been to 40 cities, the Winter Olympics, and the Super Bowl. We're going to come again to New York.
TFK: The Declaration states that all men have the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. How has our understanding of the meaning of these rights changed since you were a kid?
Norman Lear: Well, all men are created equally and have the unalienable right - you can't take it away - to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Then, comes the question of how that's implemented. How do we guarantee that as a society? How do our laws make that possible? That's where you find the disagreement.
Some people think that the way to guarantee everybody life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is this set of policies. Some think it's another set of policies. That's why it's so important that everybody registers to vote!
If you feel that the way your country makes good on that promise is by a certain set of laws, and if you vote in sufficient numbers, that's the way it is going to turn out.
