The lady bill

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

So, seems like the Treasury is now tinkering with the idea of replacing Hamilton's face with that of a woman of historical importance for America, thus revamping the 10 dollar bill. And the debate is only just beginning.

One side argues that it's been about time to do such a thing, since on seven out of seven dollar bills that are currently in circulation, the featured portrait is that of a dead white guy (two of them were never presidents, btw - so the potential argument that it should be a president is moot) - and that, in a country that's less than half male and less than 3/4 Caucasian. It would seem natural that less than 100% of all currency bills would feature white males. Granted, there've been no "Founding Mothers" of the nation, and for a reason: women were considered second-class citizens back then. But this argument might be moot as well, since Lincoln and Grant were nowhere near being Founding Fathers. In fact, there's been no specific condition for placing portraits on the US money. The one condition that sticks out is that it should be a person who's been important to the nation.

And then there's the counter-argument that pandering to diversity just for diversity's sake doesn't truly serve said diversity, but instead is only catering to a group with the impression that they'd feel good about the selection merely because it's a woman. And Hamilton, albeit not having been president, is actually one of the most crucial individuals who've shaped up the God-Chosen Nation. He was a Founding Father, chief staff aide to Washington, one of the most influential promoters of the US Constitution, and founder of the nation's financial system (and of the Federalist Party, the world's first voter-based political party). He was the one who practically breathed life into the financial framework of the new nation. So he probably deserves better than being relegated out of the set of historical figures who are to be honored on the national currency bills.

What I'd like to inquire about is where you guys stand on this issue. Should this swap happen, and why; and are there alternatives, like perhaps finding another bill with a less historically crucial individual to replace with the image of a woman of great importance to the United States, or maybe putting a woman's image on a newly created bill, an alternate bill, or better yet, something more vital than mere currency?

And of course, I can't help asking, if the Treasury should really proceed with this plan, which woman should it be? Harriet Tubman? Eleanor Roosevelt? Jane Addams? Candy Star? Caitlyn Jenner? Rosa Parks? Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Mary Harris Jones, Nellie Bly?... Pocahontas? Monica Lewinski? Miley Cyrus? Kim Kardashian? Or Marge Simpson?

Comments

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

It's well past time that a woman be included on our money, but Hamilton's not the one we should replace. If anyone deserves to be tossed off of our money, it's the genocidal fuckhead on the $20, Andrew Jackson.

As for who should replace him, there are so many deserving candidates. I can't even choose.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

That was my understanding, as well.

http://www.womenon20s.org/

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

BTW which Native American do you think ought to appear on a US banknote? I must say that for a vast majority of non-americans (like myself) Native Americans are a complete terra incognita. Like the only times you see them in media it is either a Western movie or some mention of an Indian casino.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

I know right?

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

Rosa Parks sounds great.

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Elizabeth Cady Stanton has her pose down cold.




Unfairly vilified, Margaret Sanger doesn't have a chance, but her fight to overturn laws about contraception has done more to change women's and men's lives in modern America for the better than a whole bucket of dead presidents.

[sandwichwarrior.livejournal.com]

Family planning is great, and cheap meaningless sex can be fun, but I'd say that the jury is still out on whether or not the sexual revolution was a net boon to society.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Lady Gaga. On the $100 bill.

[mudryikot.livejournal.com]

1. IMO it should be not a replacement, but parallel bills - i.e. keep 1, 3, 10 whatever bills with male portraits and add equivalent bills with female portraits, so that there are simultaneously say Lincoln 5-dollar and Harriet Tubman 5-dollar.
2. As to the 3-dollar note candidate - how about Claudette Colvin?

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

Something like the particles of the Standard Model, and then their antimatter counterparts? Me like.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Can I break my 7 dollar bill into a 3 and a 4 dollar bill now, please?

(frozen) (no subject)

[balalajkin.livejournal.com]

Just some nice vagina, please.

"Source of the nation"

(frozen) (no subject)

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

Misogyny is not allowed on this community.

Think twice before posting anything like this again.

And read the rules (http://talk-politics.livejournal.com/profile), particularly #14.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

And then there's the counter-argument that pandering to diversity just for diversity's sake doesn't truly serve said diversity, but instead is only catering to a group with the impression that they'd feel good about the selection merely because it's a woman.

LOL LOL LOL

[nairiporter.livejournal.com]

I have no doubt that such an argument has been evoked from the direction of the conservative camp.

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were all acquainted and active in abolition, suffrage and human rights. Finding a way to fit them all on a bill and tie those important themes together seems appealing to me.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Maybe a collage of portraits, then?

(frozen) (no subject)

[balalajkin.livejournal.com]

And above we saw an example how the patriarchal oppression works. Even the word "vagina" makes these stuck-up toffee-nosed bigots uncomfortable.

(frozen) (no subject)

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

I think we're done here. You're invited to go find another playground.

[balalajkin.livejournal.com]

By the way, how about having multiracial people on the US banknotes? Latinos, Afro-American, even Irish and Russian? Would it be a priority over the women issue, considering slavery was abolished before the universal suffrage began?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

For all sorts of good reasons, including irony, I would like to recommend Emma Goldman (https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Emma_Goldman).

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

If we're going to do this (and, frankly, I'd remove Ben Franklin from the $100, too, as I'd prefer our currency to be exclusively presidents), I think the only really acceptable choice would be Abigail Adams.

[luzribeiro.livejournal.com]

Why wouldn't we want to do this? Apparently, it's a hot topic these days.

[musicpsych.livejournal.com]

I feel like there are way more worthy people in U.S. history than there are denominations of currency.

I also think this topic has potential for endless debate that could distract from more important topics.

[ddstory.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone is arguing that there are just a handful of worthy people in US history.

And neither do people have such a limited attention span as to only be able to focus on a single topic.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

Do whatever you want, US Treasury, it doesn't matter to me who is on my currency, but I really don't understand the point of it all.