Please add these to your summer reading lists | Letter
RUMFORD, Maine — With the nation experiencing what many describe as a period of intense social and political division, a Rumford man is urging his fellow citizens to turn to the nation's founding documents for guidance and reflection.
Tom Fallon submitted a letter to the editor to the Portland Press Herald this week, published on Sunday, July 5, in which he recommends that Americans add the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence to their summer reading lists. The letter arrives amid ongoing national debates over the meaning and relevance of those foundational texts in contemporary American life.
In his brief but pointed letter, Fallon writes: "May I quietly suggest, at this time of social and political upheaval in our America, that we citizens gain a copy of the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence for study? We might have it visibly available in the home for family perusal or study."
The suggestion echoes a long American tradition of returning to founding principles during periods of national uncertainty. Fallon's letter does not endorse any particular political position or interpretation of the documents, instead framing the suggestion as a simple act of civic engagement accessible to any household.
Fallon, who identified himself as a resident of Rumford, did not elaborate beyond the suggestion, allowing the documents' own words to speak for themselves. The Constitution and Declaration of Independence remain among the most widely referenced—and frequently debated—texts in American public life, with their passages frequently cited in political speeches, courtroom arguments, and grassroots activism.
The letter was published in the Press Herald's Letters section, a forum that has long served as a space for Maine residents to share perspectives on issues of local and national importance. Letters to the editor reflect the views of their authors and do not represent the positions of the newspaper.
For those interested in obtaining their own copies, both documents are freely available in most public libraries, government buildings, and numerous online resources maintained by the National Archives and other institutions.
