What if you had the chance to sign the Declaration of Independence?

In 1776, 56 delegates came to Philadelphia and did something that had never been done before. They put their names on a declaration stating that people had the right to govern themselves.

All of us should remember that by the simple act of signing this document, these individuals were committing treason against the most powerful nation on Earth at that time. Their actions took more than courage, they took conviction and proactive measures, as well.

One popular story has Benjamin Franklin reminding his fellow patriots in a contentious session: “We must all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.” Collective action took precedence over individual deeds.

As we celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, it’s important to remember how we got this far as a nation and to never take it for granted as the struggle to preserve our democracy still exists. As we celebrate this anniversary, I have a unifying call to action for all Pennsylvanians; what if everyone had the chance to sign the Declaration of Independence? What if we could ALL be founding “fathers” and mothers, and sisters, and brothers? What if we could all be sustaining fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, of the freedoms of this great nation?

As the world’s leading democracy, Americans still believe in the values outlined in the Declaration of Independence. Sharing and amplifying those values is just as important today as it’s ever been. In fact, some argue it’s even more important as we are challenged with division, polarization, misinformation and tribalism.

Just one year after the Declaration was signed, the British occupied Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War and forced Congress to flee to York, Pennsylvania, my home city where the Articles of Confederation were adopted, our nation’s first working constitution. Today, York’s baseball team is called the York Revolution to commemorate the indelible significance of these early actions in our nation’s history.

As we celebrate 250 years, a new initiative, Sign ON, is making the bold statement that the values that founded America still stand today and are worth preserving. Every state in the nation is included, and everyone is invited to sign on to the Declaration of Independence to show solidarity and unity in the freedom afforded everyone in our nation.

We are proud that the city of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where this great experiment all began, are part of the Sign ON initiative that aims to carry these ideals forward. Municipal leagues across our country, including Barbara VanEpps, executive director of the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials and Adam Chapdelaine, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, whose states have their own connections to this document’s history, are excited to join this initiative.

This is a year-long campaign. Join us by adding your name to this worthwhile initiative at www.signon250.org to demonstrate your commitment to our nation, our values and the importance of strengthening our democracy.

John S. Brenner is the executive director of the Pennsylvania Municipal League in Harrisburg and a two-term former Mayor of the City of York