About the time of the passing of Ronald Reagan, there was a brief groundswell of support for putting the image of our 40th President on the $10 bill. You can read an article about that here.
Now, let me make two points from the outset...
First, though this proposal is still out there, it is no longer being seriously considered. In a way, this is "old news," and it's not likely to come back anytime soon. Still, there are some, including and especially the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project, who have not given up. On its web page, the Reagan Legacy Project asks its supporters in Congress to "vote for and support the legislation to put Ronald Reagan on the $10 bill."
Second, I am among those Americans who actually looks back on the Reagan era with fondness. Yes, I admire Ronald Reagan. Apologies to my Democrat friends and readers, but I think Ronald Reagan was a great President, and that he should be honored.
Those disclaimers having been given...
I strongly oppose dumping Alexander Hamilton from the $10 bill. And what's more, I regret that the brief controversy that flashed back around 2004-2005 over the proposal of putting Reagan on the $10 didn't inspire greater public awareness of Hamilton's legacy.
It is arguable that Ulysses S. Grant has outlived his welcome on the $50 bill and it's also reasonable to ask whether the man responsible for one of America's darkest hours - the tragic "Trail of Tears" - should be on the $20. But, there's NO reason to jettison Hamilton from the $10. That this was even seriously suggested is troubling.
Ronald Reagan himself would not be comfortable with the idea of dishonoring a Founding Father, and I therefore think it would be highly inappropriate to do so in his name. Hopefully, those still calling for this change will remain outside the spotlight and this proposal will not rear its head again.
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For more on Alexander Hamilton, I recommend checking out the "Alexander Hamilton Patriot" blog.
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3 comments:
Hi Brad. I remember this controversy. I feel the same way as you do. If we want to honor Ronald Reagan, do it in the spirit of Ronald Reagan -- don't go about removing the only thing that makes one of our greatest Founders a familiar name and face to the general American public.
If someone's face MUST be removed to accommodate Reagan's, remove Jackson's, or Franklin's, or Grant's. Not Hamilton's. His role and his legacy was way more important.
And if Congress wants to give money to support the memory of Ronald Reagan, let them generously donate out of their own lucrative salaries -- Congressman Ron Paul from Texas (who is currently running for US President) said that Congress had no Constitutional right to use the public money for any purpose they saw fit. He did, however, want to honor his friend and fellow-American, so he offered to pitch into the project out of his own salary. You can see this quick video for more on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh9o1H4cmQ4&eurl=http://inashoe.com/?p=2022&preview=true
P.S. Thanks for linking to my Hamilton blog and recommending it. I'm honored.
Hi Brian. I realized I misspelled your name in the above comment (I called you "Brad"!). I hope this wasn't confusing! I did mean to address you!
I am sorry if you were confused or upset that I misspelled your name! It won't happen again; I promise! :)
Your obdt. serv't,
Hercules Mulligan
Thanks, Hercules. I really like your Hamilton blog. A great effort for a great Founder. Of course, you and I have similar problems - we both have too many blogs to keep up with. :-)
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