This is not Jack Benny

This memorial statue of George Mason is from the Smithsonian Institute. It is not as famous as the monument for the other George: the Washington Memorial. But maybe it should be.
Before he became President, George Washington resided in the colony of Virginia. So did Thomas Jefferson. The Governor of that colony was George Mason. In June of 1776, Mr. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights. It included the following statement:

All men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights...namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

One month later, a slightly more famous declaration was adopted by the Continental Congress, giving birth to the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, who referred to George Mason as "the wisest man of my generation."

Everywhere, President Washington is referred to as the "Father of our Country." Somewhere, Thomas Jefferson was referred to as the "Father of our Mind." But people much smarter than G. FatMat have referred to George Mason as the "Father of the Bill of Rights."

For many years, students in Virginia have been discredited for giving the wrong response to the question "Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?"
Their answer: George Mason.
Maybe they are smarter than we think.