National Day of Reason Resolution Introduced in the US House of Representatives
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kate Uesugi, kuesugi@americanhumanist.org, 202-238-9088 (ext. 105)
(Washington DC, April 26, 2021) – Today, Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) introduced a resolution to recognize May 7, 2021, as a “National Day of Reason.” The resolution is co-sponsored by fellow Congressional Freethought Caucus members Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA), Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Representative Jerry McNerney (D-CA).
The National Day of Reason celebrates science, logic, and reason as guiding principles of our secular democracy, and promotes awareness of the constitutional separation of religion and government. Humanist communities around the country will celebrate the National Day of Reason as part of a nationwide Secular Week of Action, an opportunity to make positive change in our communities through volunteerism. This year, as a result of the COVID-19 public health crisis and the resulting economic downturn, the Secular Week of Action will focus on addressing food insecurity and homelessness.
“With ongoing efforts across the nation to quell the COVID-19 pandemic, and as doubt and disbelief in the safety and efficacy of vaccinations continue to spread, it’s vital to stress the importance of science and reason,” AHA Executive Director Roy Speckhardt commented. “That’s why this resolution by Rep. Raskin, which seeks to put reason back at the forefront of our democracy, is so meaningful.”
The resolution asserts that “irrationality, magical and conspiratorial thinking, and disbelief in science have undermined the national effort to combat the COVID–19 pandemic, contributing to the deaths of more than 555,000 people in the United States” and “encourages all citizens, residents, and visitors to join in observing this day and focusing on the central importance of reason, critical thought, the scientific method, and free inquiry to resolving social problems and promoting the welfare of humankind.”
Those interested in demonstrating their support for a National Day of Reason are encouraged to visit the National Day of Reason website, where individuals can view planned events, read media coverage from previous years, and organizations can sign-up as endorsers.
Speckhardt concluded: “We continue to fight for the freedoms and civil rights of all Americans, and look toward a more inclusive future, where reason is recognized as a vital tool in our quest to confront humanity’s most pressing issues.”
Read the resolution here.
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The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
The Center for Freethought Equality (CFE) is the advocacy arm of the American Humanist Association dedicated to lobbying and political advocacy. The CFE significantly increases humanist activity in key Washington coalitions, and has established a permanent lobbyist on the Hill that fights for issues secular Americans care about like the separation of church and state and protecting civil liberties.