An editorial.
While surfing online, I discovered an article written by Steven Conn about how a group of Congressional Republicans, led by House of Representatives member Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, want to replace the portrait of United States President Ulysses S. Grant on the fifty dollar bill with a portrait of more recent President Ronald Reagan.
The article goes on to give a brief overview of the problems the Republican party have been through of late, hence the movement to switch Presidential images on the fifty.
Ulysses S. Grant does have a valid claim to be on American currency. He led the Union forces to victory in the Civil War under President Abraham Lincoln, and then as President himself, oversaw the reconstruction of the Southern states damaged by said war.
The fact that he was a member of the Republican Party, a group that politically sided WITH the Confederacy during that conflict seems to be nothing more than an ironic footnote as history is viewed today.
The case to support putting Ronald Reagan on the fifty instead? Time and whatever perspective history is viewed a generation or two from now will have to decide.
While Grant's profile is far from the first image to ever grace this denomination, it did not first appear until 1913, 28 years after his passing. Reagan left us only six years ago, so I personally think it is too soon to consider another switch
With all the issues facing this country, aren't there more important things to do right now?
Besides the fact that the government should not have to bear the expense of creating new printing plates, to quote Steven Conn: Republicans are probably the only ones who see a fifty on a regular basis.
This is just a feel good measure on the part of the Republicans to present their party in a more favorable light to the current generation.
I'm sure the GOP would be crying foul if suddenly Congressional Democrats suggested replacing Grant with a Democratic President of a more recent vintage like John F. Kennedy.
To read the article for yourself, just click the link below
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100412/OPINION04/4120314/1054/OPINION
check any other valid news source, or Google Steven Conn.
Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief: The Free Choice E-zine.
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