Mason was a Founding Father
Let's begin with a pop quiz: Who was George Mason?
A comedian?
No. That's Jackie Mason.
A movie star?
Sorry. That was James Mason, a long-time star of the silver screen.
Was George Mason considered the father of the U.S. Bill of Rights?
Now you have it.
Why is this important?
Well, because the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, spell out most of the individual rights and freedoms we have come to cherish as Americans. And it's important because we celebrate U.S. Bill of Rights Day each Dec. 15.
Despite his importance, Virginia's George Mason never became a household word. When most of us learned about the pioneers of our then-fledgling nation, historians had elevated the likes of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and others to the lofty status of "Founding Fathers."
Mason's name wasn't on the list. But it should have been, because freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to a speedy and public trial, among a number of others, are our most cherished freedoms today.
The freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights have defined us as a nation.
At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Mason served on a committee charged with drafting a "Declaration of Rights" for his home state of Virginia.
Inspired by the writing of English philosopher John Locke, Mason came to the conclusion that the new republic could not be legitimate until it had a formal and legally binding commitment based on the premise that individuals had inalienable rights superior to any government.
The wise Virginian played a critical role in the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, but his proposal for a bill of rights fashioned after Virginia's was defeated.
He refused to sign the new constitution, astounding some of his close friends, including future president James Madison.
His close friendship with Madison would later pay off. At the first session of the first Congress, Madison, an elected representative from Virginia, introduced a Bill of Rights that paralleled Mason's declaration.
Besides the rights already mentioned above, this outstanding document also guaranteed a right to a trial by jury and the right to bear arms, outlawed excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual punishment, and protected citizens against unreasonable search and seizure.
While George Mason's name isn't affixed to the original U.S. Constitution, his belief that the freedoms of individuals superseded the power of the government has his fingerprints all over it.
He is as much a Founding Father as any other, and he deserves our undying respect and admiration.
— Doug Anstaett
Anstaett is executive director of the Kansas Press Association in Topeka.
