On Wednesday, April 20 it was announced that Harriet Tubman would replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Unlike many people who rejoiced in this new bill, I sat confused. I knew the federal government was considering changing the face of the $10 or $20, but personally I thought they had more important things to do rather than change the face of our currency.
Here’s the deal: I love Harriet Tubman as much as the next person — what she did was brave, heroic and incredibly important in American history, but, the federal government has bigger issues right now. The argument for changing the face on the $20 bill was all about feminism and equal rights for African-Americans and women…you think you are going to solve these issues by changing who is on the $20 bill? You won’t.
I understand the controversy surrounding President Jackson on the $20 bill. He pushed thousands of Native Americans off of their homeland and this led to the Trail of Tears, and not many people like the guy for that. I get it. This isn’t about why Jackson deserves to be on the $20 bill — to be perfectly honest, I don’t really care who is on the $20 bill, what I do care about is why the U.S. Government is choosing to address this issue right now when there are HUNDREDS of other issues affecting the U.S. population right now.
Changing the face on the $10 or $20 bill shouldn’t be the focus of the U.S. Government right now. How about using this time to craft legislation dealing with immigration, the economy, ISIS, etc.? The list can be endless.
Great that we, as the United States, is getting with the times and changing the face of a currency to a woman — I’m as for women’s rights as the next person BUT right now? Not the best timing.
In addition to changing the face of the $20 bill, the Treasury also announced they would be adding other familiar faces to the back of the $5 and $10 notes. Adding faces of Susan B. Anthony and Martin Luther King Jr., to name a few, to the backs of the bills. YAY United States for getting with the times but again I ask the question why right now when there are so many other concerns to US citizens?
Many politicians have spoken out about the recent changes. Presidential candidate Donald Trump said on the "TODAY" show he wants the bill to stay the same. I know, you probably just rolled your eyes and are thinking, “why am I still reading this girl is agreeing with Donald Trump?” But hear me out. You know the old saying if it’s not broken, don’t fix it? Well, the $20 wasn’t broken — the federal government could have added another bill or changed the $2 bill.
Just think about it. I wish the government was as concerned about national security, border security, and the economy as they are about who is on our currency.
