Changing tradition

Danny Kilrea, Freelance Reporter

With the recent feminist movement, our society has been much more conscientious about making sure men and women are equal, which is a good thing. One of the recent ideas is to put a woman, such as Harriet Tubman, on the $20 bill, considering it is only men right now. While equality is essential, I’m not quite sure changing the face of who’s on the dollar bill will make a difference. Rather than change the faces of who is on our nation’s currency, faces should be eliminated from the bill all together.

In a technological era, people rarely use cash anymore. Between ApplePay, credit cards, debit cards, online shopping and online transactions, many people are not reaching into their wallets and using paper bills. That poses the question: is changing the currency even promoting equality? Slapping a woman on a bill when money is used much less than years ago seems like an afterthought.

If the government ends up recycling old money and printing new dollars, it is only logical that they redesign the bill to show no face at all. Considering people are not taking time to look at their dollar bills, or even use them as much, it does not really matter who or what appears on the bill. To appeal to all parties, an image of The White House on the bill or even a Bald Eagle would be more patriotic and equal.

The point of the matter is: dollar bills will be used rarely in a few years. Therefore, changing who is on the money is a waste of energy and a pointless symbol. Eliminating faces on reprinted currency will show that this country is looking to establish equality in ways that matter. The debate about who appears on greenbacks, though, should be considered obsolete. Progressing in the right ways is what truly matters.