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Remarkably, many historians note this journey in U.S. history was launched by a pamphlet titled “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine published in January 1776. There is every reason to suspect that Thomas Jefferson had his copy of this pamphlet open on his desktop when he first sat to write the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in February 1776. This short 47-page publication had captured some of the seminal thoughts behind the Revolution and much of the emotion boiling in the streets across the colonies. It had gone viral in a 1776 way and ultimately reached 500,000 readers who were anxious but certain that change had to come in the embittered relationship between the English crown and the restive colonies. The loyalist “party” had gone toxic in a 2025 way.
In his pamphlet, this recent immigrant to America delivered a straightforward indictment of English Royal rule matched with an equally elegant argument that Americans had a historically unique opportunity to establish a new democratic republic in which people were free and had the power to rule themselves. Paine declared, “We have it in our power to begin the world over again.” He promoted American exceptionalism, independence, and a new form of government, as a “necessary evil,” whose purpose was to serve the people. He rejected a dishonest ruling class bent on “impoverishing the nation” and intent on making war. He championed America as the home of the free, capable with the raw materials, talents, and willpower to defend themselves.
Thomas Jefferson considered Paine to be the best writer of the Revolution who, unlike the landed gentry gathered in Philadelphia, could draw from his humble background to find the voice of the people. Paine’s compelling logic and clarion voice made it difficult for colonial leaders to take half-way stands in the politics of revolution. John Adams wrote to his wife in April 1776: “Common Sense, like a ray of revelation, has come in seasonably to clear our doubts, and to fix our choice.”
What was once common sense in a new nation – fiery but honest debate, fiscal sanity, strong defense, a constitutional republic, strong communities, protections of family, faith, and freedoms – has today too often fallen prey to one party piracy, identity and other destructive politics, injustice for hire, open borders, and indoctrination instead of education.
A reset is needed now more than a revolution. True leadership needs to be prompted and supported by creative energy and ideas. Could it again be that a recently arrived and iconoclastic immigrant like Thomas Paine, an outsider unafraid of rejection or argument, and a national leader, emboldened by a national mandate, join to ring the bell of America and say enough? Enough spending out of control, enough elimination of industry, enough accepting limitations on the creative energy of America, and enough of barriers created by “the way it’s always been done.”
Common sense is a learned sense built on experience, education, and the pushing of limits. What someone calls common sense varies person to person, generation to generation. But biology, physics, laws, morals, and more do set the limits of how a person, a community, a nation handle challenges, solve problems, and set reasonable goals. A reset acknowledges such realities, but in the name of American exceptionalism this nation expects an expansive and fulfilling future for all our citizens. Not easy to do, but it does seem we’re finally embarked on a very promising path going forward.
The collective voice and vote of Veterans must be heard in this national reset. We will certainly be involved in the work ahead. Veterans remain leaders with hard earned common sense. Our group, American Veterans Vote, benefits from the wise counsel of Veterans and their productive engagement as it promotes change through the ballot box for Veterans, Veteran Supporters, and their families.
VETERANS FORWARD
VOTE, VOLUNTEER, LEAD! EVERY VETERAN EVERY VOTE
Bob Wood
LTG (R), USA
CEO, American Veterans Vote
Please donate to AVV at our website
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