Posted on 04/21/2016 1:05:13 PM PDT by Kaslin
It’s not often that one can take issue with the argument that Barack Obama is needlessly dividing the country, but this might be the exception. The US Treasury has decided to honor Harriet Tubman, the woman who helped innumerable slaves escape to freedom, by putting her face on the $20 bill, replacing President Andrew Jackson. Right now, more people are concerned about finding their next $20 bill than are emotionally invested on whose face will be peering back at them when they get it. Greta van Susteren, however, argues that Obama and Treasury Secretary Jack Lew are dividing the country between … whom, exactly? The legions of Tubman and Jackson fans?
Greta: The Govt Is Needlessly Dividing the Country with Harriet Tubman $20
Foxs Greta Van Susteren ended her show tonight by going on a mini-rant about how the government is dividing the country by putting Harriet Tubman on the $20.
Wait, what?
Yes, Van Susteren tonight said the Obama administration went stupid by creating a completely unnecessary fight by kicking Andrew Jackson off the bill.
For my money (heh), the decision to put Tubman on the $20 made a lot more sense than kicking Alexander Hamilton off of the $10, although he may end up sharing that denomination in the future. Hamilton founded the US financial system and belongs on our currency more than most. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln tower over the rest of America’s presidents in history, and speak to the character of this nation. Benjamin Franklin was our founding philosopher and foreign-affairs genius who helped secure our independence. Everyone else is negotiable, including Jackson and Tubman.
Besides, we’ve honored Jackson for many years on the currency. Why should allowing others to share some honor be controversial, especially someone as storied and inspirational as Tubman? Don’t forget that Jackson’s image wasn’t the first to grace the $20, as David Frum reminded us today:
Not to draw invidious contrasts, but Buffalonians took it like men when Cleveland came off the 20 pic.twitter.com/GLSVbD7fEE
— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 21, 2016
Van Susteren had a suggestion as to how the Obama administration could have avoided “dividing the country”:
Give Tubman her own bill. Like a $25 bill. We could use a $25 bill. Put her picture on that and we could all celebrate. Thats the smart and easy thing to do. But no, some people dont think and would gratuitously stir up conflict in the nation. That is so awful, and yes, dumb.
Well, that’s been tried — remember the Susan B. Anthony $1 coin? It flopped, as people couldn’t easily distinguish it from quarters and thought it was contrived. That cost the Treasury a lot of Jacksons, as they ended up with 520 million surplus coins after halting production in 1981. A $25 bill would be even more contrived, and it would end up creating more work in retail stores, banks, and so on in separate handling of the currency from $20s and $50s.
Some may object to the change and defend Jackson, and some others may argue that Jackson didn’t deserve the honor in the first place too. It’s an interesting, if esoteric, argument. Most of the country will remain much more interested in their ability to acquire $20s and keep the government from getting them back. On that score, the Obama administration’s class-warfare policies have certainly divided the country, and Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton promise more of the same. Maybe we should save the outrage for where it actually matters.
Addendum: For what it’s worth, I haven’t heard any complaints from conservatives about this change yet, although I’ve been traveling a lot the last two weeks. I heard more when it came to the question of replacing Hamilton.
Jackson was the first Democrat president.
Tubman was a gun-totin’, freedom-lovin’ Republican.
How fast can I get the new bills?
It’s what Obunghole does. He hates this country.
Black deaths matter.......
even black criminals
I like it!
He took off the founder of the Democrat party any put on a gun-toting black Republican woman!
“Give Tubman her own bill. Like a $25 bill. We could use a $25 bill.”
A $25.00 bill?
Greta van Susteren is an absolute loon.
I’d say that is just one small symbol of how he has REALLY divided this country.
Poor Harriet Tubman. Now her image will be dragged around Arkansas trailer parks trying to flush-out new women for Bill Clinton.
Good grief, this has been a long long 71/2 years. I pray America never makes this mistake again. Yea! The first negro president....we instead get a muslim sympathizer with marxist ideology.
Shew wee. Painful.
Because that’s what he’s all about. It’s a wonder that congress hasn’t proposed putting him on it.
But that is who he is , and what he does , and what he will do !
Just look at the last 7 years ,.. and he is envious of Trump,s free media message getting out
The Battle of the Narcisissts and Egos !
Where is the popcorn ?
Tubman would be suitable for America’s new $3 bill.
We can pick and choose what to carry in our wallets.
.... The jokes on him .... Tubman was a member of the anti-slavery Republican Party!
EXACTLY why he's doing it.
Harriet Tubman was a heroic woman.
Why not coins....they seem to be much more collectable.
Paper notes, are not exactly collector’s items.
I hear that Amos and Andy are going to replace Grant. Al Jolson, in blackface, will replace Franklin, because it will pay tribute to people who want to be black bur really aren’t, like Rachel Dolezal and Sean King.
Tubman looks suspiciously like a frowning Aunt Jemima.
The $3.00 bill is being reserved for Obama’s portrait.
It does not matter that the country is being divided(read for divided the term disintegrated.). The currency change is one more “in yo face mo fo.”
#HALF-black presidents matter
I’m happy to have a giant of American history replace the first Democrat, a populist with questionable positions.
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