By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III

“The People’s Critic”

(Conroe COURIER    09.19.03----    12.31.69)

If you haven’t heard about it yet, it seems appropriate that I, as “The People’s Critic,” should enlighten you about “The People’s Vote.” At a special ceremony this week, President George W. Bush, along with the Archivist of the United States, John W. Carlin, officially launched “The People's Vote:  100 Documents That Shaped America.” This is a national challenge to engage Americans in a lively and thoughtful debate about which documents in American history are the most influential. Americans are being asked to decide which of these documents most dramatically changed the course of history, shaped the United States, and defined us as a people.

Many of readers have expressed appreciation for my writing about activities of the Museum of the George Bush Presidential Library in nearby College Station. Now the Museum is pleased to partner with the National Archives, National History Day and U.S. News & World Report in promoting “The People’s Vote” initiative. “The People’s Vote” invites Americans of all ages and educational backgrounds to vote for 10 documents from the list of 100 milestone documents chosen by historians and the National Archives. Voters are also invited to write-in favorite documents not listed. Information on the 100 documents is available at the Bush Presidential Library Museum, (where Paper ballots and a voting kiosk are available for the public to cast their votes), and also in the recent September 22^nd issue of U.S. News & World Report, as well as online at:

www.usnews.com/usnews/documents/document_main.htm

Voting will take place through December 1. The results will be published in an issue of U.S.News & World Report later that month. The Archivist will announce the results of The People’s Vote and unveil the ten documents that received the most votes in a ceremony at the National Archives on December 15, Bill of Rights Day.

I know many readers enjoyed the G.W.B. Museum’s “Legends of the West” exhibit last spring. (Visit the COURIER website for my April 6, 2003 review). Currently on display in the museum are Treasures of China and The Art of Keith Ferris. Museum hours are Monday – Saturday, 9:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 until 5:00 p.m.  Museum admission is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for senior citizens 62+ and groups of 20 or more with reservations.  Children 6 and older are $2.00. A&M and Blinn college students, as well as children under 6, are free.