Consider today's headlines:
- Fentanyl takes thousands of young American lives
- The U.S. border is wide open
- The national debt threatens the future of its citizens
- Numerous conflicts rage across the globe
- Medicine shortages require rationing
- American students score lower in reading comprehension
- Suicides are on the rise
- Race relations deteriorate
- Homeownership grows more difficult
- Taxes increase
- Human trafficking becomes the new pandemic
- Belief in God declines for the third straight decade
Now, imagine Thomas Paine, George Washington, or Thomas Jefferson stepping into today’s public debate. What would they think? What would they say? Would their wisdom be outdated?
The answers are clearer than one might expect. Their writings remain astonishingly relevant—so much so that, with a few updated details, their words could be mistaken for modern political commentary. Their insights, once foundational to this nation’s birth, still offer guidance in times of crisis.
As the Constitution—more than 250 years old—remains the bedrock of this government, the principles of its architects should not be ignored. In times of struggle, great institutions must return to their fundamentals. When a major league hitter falls into a slump, his coach brings him back to the basics to restore his swing. America is in a slump. Few would argue otherwise. The solution? A return to the principles, structure, and foundation that once made this nation great.
Thomas Paine Returns with Common Sense is an effort to correct a government that has veered off course. Just as Paine’s original pamphlet inspired a fledgling nation to seek independence, his words—reapplied—can help guide America back to strength and order.
