I have often mentioned the Bill Of Rights Monument my friend Chris Bliss has been working on in Phoenix for nearly a decade, so I'm happy to see that the limestone carvings (some of which weigh more than three tons) are in place on the statehouse grounds, where the monument will be officially dedicated this Saturday. Not coincidentally, that's the 221st anniversary of the ratification of the Bill Of Rights, one of the greatest documents in human history.
Chris pushed this through the Republican-dominated Arizona legislature in such a bi-partisan manner that no one voted against it. Then he went out and raised several hundred thousand dollars in private donations to fund it (there's not a single taxpayer dollar paying for the monument). To give you an idea how widespread support for the project has been, Chris will be joined at the dedication by staunch right-wing GOP Governor Jan Brewer as well as staunch left-wing Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, who was just elected as the state's first bisexual member of the US Congress.
Chris joined me on KTRS/St. Louis this afternoon to talk about the monument, the all-star comedy concert that helped fund it, and the process of getting it done. Listen, then click here to subscribe to these podcasts via iTunes!
The NY Times has posted a big article on Chris and the Bill Of Rights Monument, and here is a time-lapse montage of the monument's ten pieces being installed at the site last week...