Editing Norman Lear (section)

===Declaration of Independence===
In 2001, Lear and his wife, Lyn, purchased a [[Dunlap broadside]]—one of the first published copies of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]]—for $8.1&nbsp;million. [[John Dunlap]] printed about 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Twenty-five copies survive today and only four of those are in private hands.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lear-buys-declaration-of-independence/|title=Lear Buys Declaration Of Independence|date=June 30, 2000|publisher=[[CBS News]]|access-date=December 6, 2023|archive-date=January 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113215214/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lear-buys-declaration-of-independence/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lear said in a press release and on the ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' show that his intent was to tour the document around the United States so that the country could experience its "birth certificate" firsthand.<ref>''Today Show'' interview with Katie Couric, February 8, 2002</ref> Through the end of 2004, the document traveled throughout the United States on the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] Road Trip, which Lear organized, visiting several presidential libraries, dozens of museums, as well as the [[2002 Olympics]], [[Super Bowl XXXVI]], and the [[Live 8]] concert in Philadelphia. Lear and [[Rob Reiner]] produced a filmed, dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence—the last project filmed by famed [[cinematographer]] [[Conrad Hall]]—on July 4, 2001, at [[Independence Hall]] in [[Philadelphia]]. The film is introduced by [[Morgan Freeman]] and [[Kathy Bates]], [[Benicio del Toro]], [[Michael Douglas]], [[Mel Gibson]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Graham Greene (actor)|Graham Greene]], [[Ming-Na Wen]], [[Edward Norton]], [[Winona Ryder]], [[Kevin Spacey]], and [[Renée Zellweger]] appear as readers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.normanlear.com/citizenship/declaration-of-independence-road-trip/press/|title=press &#124; television, film, political and social activist, philanthropist|access-date=August 13, 2015|archive-date=September 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920115208/http://www.normanlear.com/citizenship/declaration-of-independence-road-trip/press/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was directed by [[Arvin Brown]] and scored by [[John Williams]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://normanlear.com/citizenship/declaration-of-independence-road-trip/press/|title=Road Trip Fact Sheet|access-date=September 28, 2022|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920115208/http://normanlear.com/citizenship/declaration-of-independence-road-trip/press|archive-date=September 20, 2015}}</ref>

In 2004, Lear established [[Declare Yourself]] which is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit campaign created to empower and encourage eligible 18- to 29-year-olds in America to register and vote. It has registered almost 4 million young people.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yahoo! Helps Declare Yourself Drive More Than 1 Million Young Americans to Download Voter Registration Forms for 2004 Election|url=http://investor.yahoo.net/common/mobile/iphone/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=146735&CompanyID=YHOO&mobileid=|work=Yahoo! recent news|publisher=Yahoo! Inc.|access-date=May 19, 2012|format=Press release|date=October 27, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304100359/http://investor.yahoo.net/common/mobile/iphone/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=146735&CompanyID=YHOO&mobileid=|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Update inline|date=December 2023}}

Lear was one of 98 "prominent members of Los Angeles' Jewish community" who signed an open letter supporting the [[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action|proposed nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers]] led by the United States. The letter called for the passage of the bill and warned that the ending of the agreement by Congress would be a "tragic mistake".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/98-prominent-hollywood-jews-back-814855|title=98 Prominent Hollywood Jews Back Iran Nuclear Deal in Open Letter (Exclusive)|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Seth|last=Abramovitch|date=August 12, 2015|access-date=February 18, 2020|archive-date=August 15, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815033015/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/98-prominent-hollywood-jews-back-814855|url-status=live}}</ref>