Stephen King, for starters

I have had a real hard time trying to figure this out. After thinking about it for awhile I thought that maybe the Treasury should do something like what they have done with the quarter and nickel, where they change it every now and then and make it have some meaning.
I personally think maybe they should put different authors on the penny for awhile. It would be kind of cool if they started off with Stephen King. They could put a picture of him on the front of the coin and a jack-o’-lantern on the back. I suggest him because he has put out a lot of work and he is fairly well known. I also suggest him because he is one of my favorite writers.
The Treasury could hold a contest too, taking suggestions from the nation. That way they could get an idea of what everybody is thinking and maybe please some people. I think that this would be a good idea because then people would probably want to keep the penny around more than just for the reason that we need to make change. Collectors would also snatch them up.
My last thought on this is that maybe we should have companies sponsor the penny. They could pay a certain amount to have a limited amount of pennies made with their logo on one side and an ad or something significant to them on the other. They say that it is costing the government more to make a penny than a penny, so why not have somebody pay for it other than the tax payers. Plus the government could also use money from this to be put on the national debt.

Put God's face on the penny

On the front of the U.S. penny is the inscription, “ In God We Trust.” So I am wondering if God’s face should be on the front of the small copper coin instead of Lincoln’s. It seems appropriate.
As I’m trying to picture the face of God I wonder…Is God Black, Caucasian, Oriental, or the color of an emerald rainbow for all I know. Depending on who I consider the U.S. governerment’s God to be would define what the face would look like.
Is it’s God full of kindness, mercy, forgivness, and justice? Is it’s God full of greed, deception, and over taxing of it’s people? If it’s the former it’s the God that is called “ Love”, accorrding to the Bible. This particular face would make sense to be something aesthetically appealing to the eye. If the God was of the latter, it would probably be pictured as a dried up, spineless, bulging, beedy eyed creature like the animated character of “ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”.
So shall it be the image of a selfish green eyed pitiless creature depicting it’s traits of greedy hoardiness or the peaceful face of a being of “Love”? Neither! As I think more about it, “ Honest Abe” is absolutely the perfect face for our penny. A likeness of the U.S.’s first President seems to represent the government. The legendary story of Abraham’s Lincoln’s honesty has been passed down for centuries. The two may just send the perfect subliminal message, “ to put trust in the government, completly!” So keep Lincoln’s picture on the penny. It may be the perfect façade that masks the truth. The truth being….Well You Can Decide!

King should be next great leader honored

Some think we should abolish the penny. All that heavy insignificant change we get in return for a light weight bill that easily fits in our pockets. On the penny lies Abraham Lincoln a distinguished leader who played a momentous role in our history. Putting great people on something that we use almost everyday is a wonderful way to celebrate our history. Abraham Lincoln will have been on the penny for one hundred years in 2009; therefore, I believe we should now honor another person in history that was also a leader of high significance.
Martin Luther King “He led a mass struggle for racial equality that doomed segregation and changed America forever.” In fact, his movement for black equality paved a path for others later in history also fighting for civil rights. Among other things, he won the Nobel peace prize and also received the American Liberties Medallion for his undying love for human rights. These are only two awards among many that King received for his courageous journey to end hate against African Americans.
. As a result, I believe Martin Luther King should be the next great leader on the penny. Not only has he accomplished an incomprehensible amount of things for human rights of our country, but he is someone that our generation can relate to.

Let's remember Boss Tweed

American presidents get the entire spotlight in today’s society, and have a monopoly over displaying their busts on coins. That’s all well and good, but what about the governors, mayors, city officials? Don’t they deserve the right to proudly flaunt their facades on the thing they covet the most- money? America is a Union of States, and I feel to stay true to the original conceptions that the founding fathers had for America, it is imperative to look at the city and state officials as much as the executive officials. That is why I feel that there should be only one man’s head on the penny- “Boss” Tweed.
Tweed exemplifies the classic American dream, the son of Scottish and Irish immigrants in New York who went from nothing and took everything. Tweed spent his early life as a real American hero, the fireman, which of course is always the gateway into politics in New York.
Tweed made a real difference after getting elected to the House of Representatives and the Senate. He was able to give big legislative breaks to the big railroad companies, and he even managed to be director of that same company!
“Boss” Tweed was a real American politician. If there was one thing Tweed could do, it was get money into the hands of those that needed it- himself. A man like Tweed was too important to allow control of New York to fall into the hands of the public. That’s why in 1870, he passed a charter that made sure only the mayor could control civil services, like parks and public works. Sure he made a little money inflating invoice amounts, but did he not deserve it for his civic duties?
Unfortunately men like Tweed become enemies of the less accomplished. The envy of the public, who could not appreciate the beauty of his “Tammany Hall” (where he preserved his “interests”) from their street hovels, decided he would better serve in jail- where he died. Tweed was just another martyr to the cause of the “Old Man’s Club”, a fighter for the cause. Though he may have died, he did so with a great fortune of public money. That’s why I feel a man like Tweed deserves to have his head on the American coin, to remind the public where it goes.

What should be on the penny? Nothing.

On the subject of what should be on the US penny next year other than old Abe in all his glory, I
can only think of one thing. Nothing, yes, that’s right, absolutely nothing. Seriously, should the united States REALLY care what’s on the penny, or any of its currency for that matter? Other than the big wigs and radical gung-ho “I love America” fans; the majority of us don’t even know which historical figure is on more than two pieces of currency. Let’s just use our pennies for buying things, or for table games at lunch time since that’s all their really worth nowadays anyways. Look at it this way, yes Lincoln has been on the penny for a long time, it’s natural for people to think “hey it’s time for change”. But with that change will come arguments, and with those arguments, comes debate. Who really wants to debate What’s going on the penny? It’s going nowhere. I would like to see one person in this classroom take a penny in Hand, look at Lincoln and say “this means something personal to me”, then MAYBE we have an Argument about what should or shouldn’t be on it next year. If anything, the penny would have to be
Changed to something that could mean something to everyone to avoid all the flak that would come With it.
So in a nutshell, let’s make it easy for everyone and leave it blank. The penny picture means Nothing to the American culture or how we live our lives daily, if you want that, read a book for god sakes, you shouldn’t have to look in your wallet to be reminded what our country stands for. It’s really All personal opinion if you’re asking what somebody wants to put on it, so I don’t find it logical to make an Argument over something that thousands of people will have thousands of different responses to. Its too much of a personal question to have a valid argument.

Harriet Tubman the right choice

Harriet Tubman was an American patriot and a hero to many. Like Lincoln she was for the people and therefore would be my choice to replace him as the face on the US penny.
Harriet was born into slavery on a plantation but that did not determine what her future would be. She was predestined for more. She worked in the fields as a teenager like many other enslaved men and women during that time. It was with the death of her owner when she took a leap of faith and decided her own destiny. She escaped captivity and became apart of the Underground Railroad. As a free woman she made the choice to return time and time again risking that freedom to secure the freedom of others. She was an abolitionist and joined the union holding different roles. She was a cook, a nurse, a scout and spy. She would go behind enemy lines on scouting missions bringing back valuable information for the advancement of the Union army. She became the first woman to command an armed raid. Like Lincoln she was there doing her part. As a result many men, women and children were freed. Some of whom were recruited by Harriet to join in the fight.
The war ended but her journey continued into activism and humanitarianism. Her home was a safe haven for many freed slaves. She opened a home for the aged and was active in the suffrage movement. She had served her country and once again her country had failed her. Despite her military service she was denied her pension and so, struggled financially. Harriet still continued being an activist and humanitarian. We should be honored to have her be the face on our penny.

Blue collar penny

Although Mr. Lincoln more than deserves to be honored in such a way as being a permanent fixture of our society, I do feel that there are a group of people that have been ignored when it comes to the appreciation of the “American Dream” and that “for which it stands”.

There is one group of people that are solely responsible for the success and prosperity of our country. The working classes, whose blood, sweat and tears are what have made this great nation what it is today. These providers often go unnoticed and rewarded by society and government.

If it were up to me, I would design the one cent coin to resemble the millions of citizens who go to work everyday (ironically to earn not much more than the coin in question) and pay their taxes which provide the whole country with the way of life that separates us from that of the rest of the world. The people, who day after day risk their lives to keep us safe, teach our children, feed our hungry or just keep food on their own family’s table.

This country was built on the backs of hard work and determination. With out the sacrifices these people make on a daily basis this country could not function. Whether it’s the construction worker building the highway you take to work every morning or the single mom working two jobs to put her kids through school, they touch our lives in every aspect only we don’t always realize it. I myself am working class, and I still don’t always acknowledge the impact that even I make, but I know I make one.

Through out the years the country has taken for granted the contributions made by its “general” population. Considering tax breaks given to millionaires or today’s obsession with celebrities and the super rich, the “real” citizens of our towns and cities go unrecognized.

With that said, my coin would consist of the civil servants, and the all around blue collar people that day in and day out pull their own weight and try to achieve not only a level of success that comes with hard work, but the pride and satisfaction of putting in a good days work. From the fire men and police officer’s who risk their lives here at home, to the military that protect us from all over. From the non-profits that try to make our country that much better, to the people who need those charities to survive. From the bottom to the top, they are all over but still no where to be found, I say we should see them and thank them for what they are, the foundation of not just our society but a way of thinking and an ethic that I am more than proud to call all American.

Bill Gates ought to be on the penny

The penny has had the same face on it for a long time. It's time for a change. I think Bill Gates would make a great replacement for Abraham Lincoln.
Bill Gates has made a big impact in the 20th century. He brought technology to our homes and enabled us to use computers easily with his Microsoft Windows operating system. Computers were around before then, but were much more difficult to use.
Today, computers help us with a variety of tasks. We can communicate with anyone in the world with the touch of a button, or share pictures and videos just as easily. It’s a lot easier to stay organized, especially for a business, whether it has to do with financial information, statistics, or records. Information is so much easier to obtain using the internet. Almost anything you can think of or want to learn about can be found on the internet.
In my personal experience, computers have helped me to accomplish so many things that would either have taken a long time to do, or would not have been possible to do otherwise. When it comes to school work, I can save everything I’ve done without needing a closet full of papers. I can also talk to many people at the same time, which is very convenient. Whenever I think of something that I want to know more about, especially for school, or just about anything that interests me, it’s able to be done with a few mouse clicks and some keystrokes at a keyboard. It would be hard to imagine life without a computer now that I’ve gotten so used to it.
There are endless possibilities of what can be done with computers, which originated with Bill Gates creation of Microsoft Windows. I’m sure that many people would agree with me that he was one of the biggest influences in the 20th century, and that’s the reason his face should be on the penny.

Statue of Liberty on the penny

The new face of the penny should be the statue of liberty. I think that the statue of liberty plays a big role in the U.S. It’s not just some unique gift from the French but, it also symbolizes freedom for the citizens of the United States of America. Lincoln looks good on the penny but the statue of liberty will look even better. The statue penny will remind people that the US is a free country and that no one can take that freedom away from them.
The statue of liberty is a very popular monument in the USA. People from all over the world visit the U.S to see it or they have seen it either in pictures, movies or books. I believe that the symbol of the statue of liberty is already on some coins in the US, but those coins don’t get around much like the penny does. The statue penny will also go overseas by tourist from all over the world and the penny itself will be a great souvenir for them to take to their family and friends. Lincoln was a great guy and did great things, but I think it’s about time he retires from the penny. He still has the five dollar bills with his face on them. Also the faces of men have been on every single dollar and coin in the U. S, it’s about time we get a female face on a coin, even though she isn’t real.
Even though this is just my opinion on who should be the next face of the penny, I think that a good amount of other people would agree with me. Not just because it will look better but because of what she represents and the fact that the statue is a female.

Let's remember our presidents

I think that Lincoln has had a long run being on the U.S. penny since 1909. I do believe that each term a president is in office he should be on the penny. The president of the United States is our Commander and Chief and represents everything that the United States stands for. Lincoln, though I respect him a great deal is not all that we stand for. We have all of our great states on the back of the quarter and on the front is our first elected president of the U.S., George Washington, which symbolizes a great deal. We have on the back of the dime a torch which symbolizes our ability to United with other nations. We have on the nickel a picture of the creator of our Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. I feel that the rest of the currency is in the right place but that the Penny could be better used for our current president.
I feel that we owe it to the person that is running our nation, the person that is looking over the welfare and care the billions of citizens that we have in the United States, especially in today’s times with terrorism and war. Each President of the United States deserves to be remembered for all their hard work by being on the front of the penny to be remembered for a long time to come. I personally feel that once a president is out of office that they are forgotten about in not so much a literal term, but that all of their accomplishments and hard work falls into the hands of the current president at that time. I may go back and think of a specific time or event and ask myself, who did that? I feel that who ever is displayed on the U.S. Penny should be someone that has been in our time, and have dealt with our issues of the 20th and 21st century. I am not in anyway by writing this saying that Lincoln is not a very honorable man that has done very honorable things for us, just simply that the Lincoln Memorial is a place that was made to honor him, now we need something to honor our Presidents.

FDR saved the nation

Since being first minted the U.S. Penny has always had the face of one of our greatest presidents Abraham Lincoln. I think that the face on the penny should be changed to that of another historical figure because my boy Abe is already on the five dollar bill. Why should a president get his face on two different types of currency? I think that the face on the penny should be changed to that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I think that throughout the history FDR has been one of the most crucial and best presidents to date. He took office during the Great Depression and some how found a way to get us out of the worst depression our nation has ever seen. That’s only one of the many things FDR has done.
Roosevelt is the only president to date that has served more than two terms in office. FDR was voted in for four terms of office. That alone should be enough to put his face on a bill or a coin. Also during WWII he helped lead the allied forces alone with Churchill and Stalin to beat the Japanese and Nazi’s.
I feel that without Roosevelt our world would be a lot different than it is today. Our economy could have never recovered from the Great depression and our country could have been taken over by the Nazi’s or Jap’s. This is why I feel that FDR deserves a place forever in the currency of America.

World Trade Center would remind us of 9-11

I think that Abraham Lincoln should disappear from a penny, because he was on it for too long. I know that he was a good president and he probably deserve that, but people like changes.
I think that his place should take something that reminds to people about United States, about something important, about something that people should not forget. Penny is a coin that we all see many times a day, so when we look on the penny, then we should know what’s on it.
I think that it would be great if World Trade Center will take Abraham Lincoln’s place. Everyone know what was it and what happened that day. I think that twin towers deserve to be on a penny, because many people died in that tragic day, and after that many things changed in United States. After that day many people did not felt as safety as they were before. The war against terrorism, war in Iraq, all those things start after September 11.
That’s why I think, that World Trade Center as a symbol should stand in a penny and I think that it really deserve that.

Rough rider should mount the penny

Next year, Abraham Lincoln will have been on the penny for one hundred years. Perhaps it is time for a new face on the coin, if the government insists on continuing to produce and use pennies. One person who would be appropriate is Theodore Roosevelt. This president is honored in Mount Rushmore and other national monuments, but does not appear on any currency.
As president, he brought America into the international political scene, whereas before America was traditionally isolated. America might not be the superpower it is today, had not Theodore Roosevelt established it as a political player. He was a superb diplomat, negotiating many disputes and even an end to the Russo-Japanese war (and winning a Nobel Peace Prize in the doing). Towards the end of his presidency, he prepared the nation for the conflict that would later be known as World War I. Thanks to his foresight, America was ready to face an inevitable war.
On a national level, he helped bring about antitrust laws to control huge corporations and enabled the working man to earn a living wage. His decisions on which trusts were “good” or “bad” formed the standards of business practice we know today, which allow the working class to support themselves and their families, but also protect businesses from unreasonable demands. He also reduced the national debt by almost one hundred million dollars, which would be amazing even (especially?) nowadays.
There is no denying Lincoln was a great president, but the time always comes for change. Perhaps a century was long enough- he already has the five dollar bill, why not allow another great president to grace the front of the one cent coin?

Twin Towers would be right fit for penny

If removing Lincolns face from the front of the penny was to ever occur, I believe that replacing his face with a picture of the Twin Towers would be something that should be considered.
I think that this would be a nice way to show honor and respect to the Twin Towers and also a way to say that we will never forget all of the lives that were lost that day and the brave heroism of all those that helped.
Although we have all become accustomed to seeing the penny with Lincolns face on it, I believe that many of us will be happy and pleased to see the Twin Towers in place of Lincoln’s face. He has been on the front of a penny for almost a century and most certainly he was a man that was honored. I don’t think that many people would be offended by not seeing his face on the penny much longer.
September 11 2001 was a horrible day and many lives were lost that day. Even til this day there are many families that still have questions and are still hurt and suffering for their lost ones. In looking at a penny that has a picture of the Twin Towers I think that it might help them to know that they are not alone and that not only them but also the entire country is still sad from what occured that day.

Put a president on the penny

The person that should be on the face of the penny is someone that should be respected and honored by all of mankind. Someone who takes pride in making the world we live in a better place and deserves to be awarded in such a way as having their face on the front of something that we all know and love, money.
This is why the next president and future presidents should be on the face of the penny. Everytime a new president wins the election, he or she should take the place of the former face on the penny.
Lincoln has been on the penny for almost a century, but I am sure he was put there because at the time he was someone we all looked up to as a country. We have all become familiar with his face being on the penny but now it is time for a change. Lincoln is long gone and someone who shares a lot of similarities with him should take his place.
Having the president of the United States on the penny only makes sense. The president is the leader of the country who everyone knows and trusts to make the best decisions to protect us and open up opportunities for us. We pretty much have to trust him or her with our life. Without a president of the United States our world would be chaotic. We probably wouldn’t have rules and laws that make sense. Everything that we have so far such as protection against terrorism, jobs, benefits, programs, education, health care and also safety would not be as enforced. There would be noone to make important decisions to benefit us. There would be noone to fight for our rights and equality.
The president of the United States is the only person I can think of that is important enough to take the place of such a highly respected person, Lincoln. Someone responsible and dedicated to this country is the only person I would like to see on my penny.

Hang on to Lincoln

I believe that if the penny isn’t abolished that President Lincoln should remain as he has for nearly one hundred years. It seems as though we are forgetting and not really caring for the past like we should be. Most kids today could rattle off the top video on MTV quicker than naming one single accomplishment of President Lincoln’s. It’s because of his accomplishments and his profound impact on the United States that I believe he should stay.

President Lincoln represents change and the ability to overcome obstacles that at the time may have seemed nearly unthinkable to stand against. He was President during a very important time in history and his decisions and work aimed to change that very fabric of society. In 1863 he issued forth the Emancipation Proclamation which led to the abolishment of slaves. This changed the history and lives of so many people it rivals as one of the greatest things any single man has done for his people and country. To imagine the ridicule from the very people that may have supported him seems extremely daunting.
Lincoln also supported peace in the wake of the Civil War and urged the south to lay down their arms and end the senseless violence. Great men in history in my opinion have changed what once was acceptable and stood up against that which is wrong, and done so against great odds.

I believe that to some extent it’s outrageous to consider putting any other President or any other individual on something that has stood as a monument for nearly one hundred years. If it is decided that the penny is to be abolished than that would be a sad day in history but at the very least in some sense our generation and those before us had a chance to hold a piece of greatness in our hands.

Random facts or funny quotes

Since 1909 the U.S. penny has embraced the image of one of our most influentual presidents in the history of the country, Abraham Lincoln. It makes a lot of sence to have images of such heroic people through-out history on something that we are going to have contact with everyday. However, the penny itself has lost meaning in todays society. A hundered years ago you may have been able to use a penny or two to tip your milkman, or buy candy. Today your lucky if you could even use a dollar to satisfy those needs. This is why I think we should put random facts, or funny quotes on the penny, much like a snapple or sobe cap. The penny has almost no relevance anymore today, rather than a jingle in your pocket, or the rare instance you happen to have correct change. The penny is still needed economically to satisfy purchases, and the overall monetary system. So if we must keep it we mine as well have some fun with it. Imagine getting change back and having your penny say something interesting, like “if you save a hundred of me, you’ll have a dollar.” Or “Polar bears eat seals.” This way, whenever you get a penny, you’ll atleast look at it, rather than leave it in the coin thing by the register. On the back maybe you could even put lucky numbers, or a fortune.

Let's give the earth some attention

I think that if the penny were to be changed, a good symbol would be, the Earth. Now a days we focus on the fact that we all need to be more efficient in everything we do, so I believe that putting the earth on it would remind everyone that we all need to take part in things, in order to keep the earth clean for all of us. We all have grown up seeing the penny with President Lincoln’s head on it but if we are going to change it, why not put on something that unites us. The earth is something that we all share no matter what religion, race, or ethnicity we are, we live on it, and we might as well be able to show our gratitude by placing it on something that we all most likely see everyday.
Although many people believe that they should just do away with the whole idea of the penny but I believe that we shouldn’t get rid of something that we all have known for so long. The penny may be the smallest amount of currency we have but I think if it was to be changed it could signify that the smallest amount of effort put into our world and country could make the biggest difference for all of us.
Most people today just know by shape or color, which amount is which, but I know when the new U.S. quarters came out I was excited to see which state was going to be on which one. It kind of gave some fun and knowledge to finding the quarters and seeing what each state had to offer. It was a mini way of learning something about each state but yet it was still worth something in the end so it wasn’t just a pointless thing that people were trying to show everyone. I think if they could maybe do the same thing with the pennies that people wouldn’t be so careless and not want to keep them.

Lincoln should remain

I believe that redoing the American penny would be a useless waste of time and money. I believe that Abe Lincoln who has been on the American penny since 1909 should remain on the penny.
A question that should be answered with thought and concern is… Who is paying for this and is there really a point or need to do a change? The answer to the question would probably be no. There really is no point to changing the image on the back of the penny. The point would be if any to use a more current president or figure of stature. And then how this would be decided? Would there be a vote on who thinks which president was great and had a huge impact on the American culture and way of life in the recent 50years or so. The answer to the question would be huge. Many people would have a different answer with a different reason. Weather or not those answers would be valid what would come of this? Probably would be another debate or argument.
The whole problem with making a change such as that would be the waste of money. Coming from the tax payers of America, meaning us! Do the tax payers really deserve to serve this purpose of making the change of the American penny? Abe Lincoln could be argued of having the largest impact of the American country since the civil war. However many people could say he really did not do anything, he was not entirely against slavery. It was just a topic he chose a side on and went with it. What else did he do? He was the leader of the north who was assassinated creating a even greater and larger image upon him making him. The same arguments could be made about any president. George Washington did not even want to be the president. He was simply the general of the soon to be American country. He was the many of the hour when the British surrendered. However he still became the first president.
The main idea with what presidents did and how it effected today is, the presidents on the current coins and dollar bills are the presidents who made a impact on the growth of our country. Some of these people where the president at the time of expansion, some where just doing there job leading the army, while some where the leader of the winning side of the war that brought our country back together.
Now for picking a current president what would be the reasons? For the president who’s being viewed as doing ‘nothing’ or being in office during a time of war, or maybe who’s viewed as being involved in a scandal. The answers to the views on any resent president are huge many people look at each and every president in so many different ways positive and negative.
However there is no argument about the oldest of the presidents who where in the office at times of great change.
This whole debate would only postpone other issues being decided that could be more important to be debated. And the largest thing would be is the money being sucked into the debate and the change. Lets face it, its not free to have something designed and made, templates would be needed to stamp out the new coins after the initial design is made, then the quantity would need to be massive. Sure another argument could even be made from that. The year is changed every year on the coin; however this is a minor change to what is made. And most the people could say the see the need in dating the money, while it as well in reality is a pointless change in its own. However nearly everything in our culture is dated.
While the change on the American quarter did go through and every state having there own picture on the back of this coin was accepted, another completely different idea would be needed. People would be very unlikely to go for the idea of using the same image on each coin. And using a different image would just not appear to look right.
The final point comes down to why would we, the people of this country be paying to make a change that is only a national debate and disruption that is not needed. I do not believe there would be any figure or person great enough to be placed on the national currency for the penny that everyone would be able to agree with.

Lincoln is so yesterday

Abe Lincoln is so yesterday. The penny should no longer be a picture of Abe Lincoln, but rather a picture of our country. I will say that Abe Lincoln did a lot for our country, no doubt. He deserves recognition for what he did, but he’s got a huge memorial in Washington D.C., and personally I think that suits him better than the penny. In all honesty, I don’t know too many people, if any, that would actually care what is printed on the penny because they don’t take the time to sit there and look at it. I think that there should be better ways to honor the presidents and people that mean so much to our country, and use the coins and even paper money to show a picture that doesn’t reflect a person, but rather reflects some object or place. Nonetheless it still should be something that is important to us.
We see our country, what it’s made up of, and who it’s made up of every day when we walk out our door into the world. Our country is more than just a picture, which is why I think that putting a picture of our country on the penny would suit us well. It’s enough to say we honor our country, which we do highly honor our country, but at the same time it’s a subtle way to honor it.
No matter which way you look at it, the penny could use an update. The paper money gets updated, yet the coins still have the same people. I think that a picture of our country would do us justice on the penny.

Keep Honest Abe

What should be imprinted on our Nation’s one cent coin? Well, since 1909, one of the greatest, if not most influential, presidents of all times face and upper torso has proudly been displayed on the United States of America one cent piece, also known as the penny. The copper coin has circulated more than any other thing in this country. It has been used to pay for 1 cent bubble gum, many decades ago, it could probably get you a gallon of milk, eggs, or bread. Nowadays, it is found in wishing wells, on street corners, and in those little blue containers found in the convenience stores that say, “leave-a-penny-take-a-penny” for the times when you are a couple pennies short for your total bill.
Apparently, nobody wants these “pennies,” so I guess in reality, not many people care what should be displayed on the nation’s one cent piece. However, I do, I think we should keep Honest Abe’s mug on our penny, and not be influenced to change or alter our currency. My fiancé is a History teacher, and every day I hear stories about more and more kids who don’t know anything or care about our Nation’s history. I’m not suggesting that if we take Lincoln’s pic off the penny that all the kids in this world will lose more knowledge of our history, but I do feel that the world in general is evolving, and everyone tends to forget about who in history helped get us to where we are today.
Everything today is ipod this or imac that, or digital this or HD that. Yes, I agree, that the technology age is upon us, and it is totally awesome, but putting another image on that penny I think, just irks me a bit. I mean, who would we put on it, Bill Gates? Although, I would be open to the idea of putting another president on the penny along with Lincoln, or like you said, “issuing coins with all the presidents on it” might be cool, but I truly would not mess with a historic icon, if you will, as the penny. The only thing I would do, since I am a Graphic Designer, is maybe update the image a little bit and change the fonts kind of like they have done with the paper currency, which I admit has been very hard to make counterfeits, just kidding.
Seriously, I really believe that Abraham Lincoln should continue to be on our nation’s one cent piece, and like many people say, “if it works, leave it alone,” or something like that.

Politics should be focus

One of the most belittled pieces of change ever, the penny. We look at piles of them as they fall out of our pockets when looking for, you know, the significant change such as the nickel or the quarter…the change that actually adds up to something big over time. Well, I think it’s time that we give our lonely little friend a new look, to kind of make people want that jar of pennies in their living room, or the local cashier not care so much when someone pays in three dollars in change. Abraham Lincoln was an amazing individual, but let’s face the facts, he isn’t as easy on the eyes as something else, and at that I would like to make my proposal.
What if we changed the symbol on the penny to the hybrid of the donkey and the elephant that is rearing it’s head in politics. It may seem a bit dry, but it’s one of those things you have to take a second look at, when one takes into account that there will never be a donkey meshed with an elephant, and also on the political point of view. We are at a time where our government isn’t afraid of change as much as we were a hundred years ago, and that is evident in the nominees for the 2008 election. We have had racial and sexual diversity as far as candidates, what if we were to push the boundaries as far as the democratic and republican standpoint goes.
Now, without going into a full political debate at the moment, we should take this as a chance to get people to think deeply about something that would normally be miniscule. Just the idea of associating so many innovated and modern ideas and concepts to the penny that really can’t get you anything alone anymore is somewhat an oxymoron. Just making something small into something important is an accomplishment; the thought that comes afterwards is the bonus.
Would something such as reaching into your pocket and finding a new coin cause an uproar or an immense change in politics? Probably not, but it would get you to think, just as the term ‘in god we trust’ seems to set off sparks in the mind when we look at our bills. Something with a message would fare much better than a century old image of a previous president. It would be taken as a more modern edge than the images on the nickel of our presidents, and if would push the boundaries in ways that we can only imagine.
When it comes to our society, anesthetics are very important. If something looks appealing, we really want it. If something is hideous or redundant, we aren’t so prone to pay it much mind. The hybrid of the donkey and elephant would certainly make us wonder, because it’s not something we see all the time, and at it’s first appearance it’ll really stand out.
It would be interesting to introduce something new that also leaves room for inquisition. When inquisition takes place we start to build opinions based on our initial thoughts, and with different opinions we feel motivated to take stands for what we believe. With everyone having their own side to argue, it could lead to a debate that could lead to parties that aren’t quite democrat of republican, that interlock some views, and at the same time form their own. To think how amazing that would be if something so immense came from our forgotten little copper friend.
In short, the penny is in dire need of change, and the answer is in those campaign adds we see over and over again “divided we fall”. It would get a few laughs, and a whole lot of thought, and should really be taken into consideration.

All people are created equal

Since 1909 the penny as we know it today hasn’t changed one bit. It is time for a new face to be placed on such a seen item. But who would it be or what would this new picture represent? America has many symbols to choose from; the bald eagle, stars and stripes, the U.S.A itself, and many other inspiring people. However, I feel the best new image to print on the penny would be none of the above. On the new penny there should be a quote to best describe this nation such as, “all people are created equal” and around this quote there should be thirteen starts to represent the thirteen colonies. This quote would represent why America came to be in the first place. Our nation strives to be free, to be equal, and to be the land of opportunities. So why should we change the penny to just one person when many others helped America get where it is today.

Obama is perfect for change

Next year, the face of the penny should no longer reflect Abraham Lincoln but rather that of Barack Obama. 2008 is the year of change, and the most prevalent representation of change this year has been Barack Obama. As a nationwide phenomenon, Obama has made history. The penny should signify something of relevance to our country and something that will forever shape our history, and Barack does just that.
Obama has challenged all odds. He was raised in a low income house hold with less of an opportunity than most because of his ethnicity. The only advantage that he had was his will and determination. His disposition however reflected more of a disadvantage; never before has there been an African American to achieve (or even come close to the possibility of) what he is extremely close to achieving. Never before have so many Americans considered what they are now considering because of him. Our economy is currently in a stalemate. There aren’t many people that don’t desperately seek change within our nation’s tribulations and Obama has touched so many people because he promotes what so many Americans desperately desire. Change.
Ironically, Abraham Lincoln was the president who marked the beginning of equal opportunities for African Americans. Through the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln freed the slaves. It even gives a sentimental value for the new face of the penny to reflect his legacy; the man who has resided on our one cent piece for so long will now bestow his legacy with the new face of the penny representing what he believed in. Obama is the perfect candidate for the face of the penny. If the face should change, it should represent change, and also something of significance to our country today. He should also be the new face of the penny because he represents the beliefs of the old one.

King is best to follow Lincoln

I think that Martin Luther king should be on the penny and replace Lincoln. The face on the penny has been represented by someone that has always been important in us history and dr. king is just that. He has been an influential figure in America for decades. He has helped fight racism and also wrong doing in this country. They have a lot in common also. For example both men fought for rights of African Americans. Also they fought against segregation. Lastly both men were assassinated.

Abraham Lincoln freed the entire slave in 1865 after years of slavery in America. He gave them rights and tried his best to make sure every one of them were no longer held captive against there will. Dr King also fought for rights for African American people. He fought to make sure that they were being treated equally and that they had the same rights as any other racial group in America.

Dr. King also fought segregation and tried to make sure that whites and blacks can sit together in the same room without there being nay problem. He tried to unite the people and show them that they are one. Abraham Lincoln brought back that south after they segregated from the north and united them as one country again.

Dr. King was assassinated by a gunman during a speech in Memphis. His legacy will never be forgotten. Abraham Lincoln was also assassinated while attending a performance.

As you can see these men have a lot in common with each other. Both have great legacies that will never be forgotten. Both men fought for change in a country that needed them badly. Both were excellent public speakers who reached out their communities and deserved praise. With Lincoln freeing the slave things would have been very different today. Also with dr. king giving his speeches to the one million man March things may have also looked a lot different. With all these sings said I believe that the only man who is capable and worthy of taking over Lincolns spot on the penny is Dr. Martin Luther king.

Let's not forget Gerald Ford

Have you ever checked under your couch hoping to find loose change and the only thing that you come up with is a fist full of pennies? What will you do with those pennies? Can you use them to buy your groceries? No. Can you do anything other than make change or occasionally turn them into a bank when you have a few thousand? No. The penny is almost worthless. The fact that one of our most influential presidents is immortalized on the piece of coinage most likely to be thrown at someone if another is lacking another projectile object in a fit of rage is an insult to Abraham Lincoln’s name. A president like Gerald Ford would be more fitting.
The presidency of Gerald Ford was anything but normal. Taking office after one of the most reviled president’s of the United States resigned, Ford only had a 3 year term in which not a whole lot of good came out of the office of the president. His act of pardoning former President Richard Nixon, which earned a lot of scrutiny and the state of the economy during Ford’s term are two such examples. While there were a few good useful things to come out of the Ford presidency, the Helsinki Accords and offering clemency to those who dodged the Vietnam Draft, it merely makes Ford’s value rise from completely useless to nearly useless.
In comparison, President Abraham Lincoln’s presidency was also dissimilar to the norm, but in a more influential way. Lincoln guided the country through one of the most difficult times that it will face ever. Abolishing slavery through the 13th amendment and keeping the country together after a long and deadly civil war earned Lincoln his place in the Pantheon of Presidents.
President Lincoln’s legacy is known by all and accepted by most. His residence on the little piece of copper alloy that is more often thrown out than spent should be rectified. Lincoln’s place on the five dollar bill is much more fitting for a man of his stature. Since we can’t abolish the penny completely since it is still insignificantly useful, Gerald Ford would make a better choice on our Nation’s smallest piece of currency. If it were completely useless we’d be forced to use Jimmy Carter.

Lincoln deserves to stay

Abraham Lincoln was one of the most influential presidents the United States has had in its history. He worked to abolish slavery and to unite the southern and northern colonies into one unified country. Why then should we take away the face of this great American leader from the penny? The answer is easy, we shouldn’t.
I can think of no better person to be on the penny then Lincoln. He served as president in one of the more difficult eras in American history, so taking him off would feel like a crime. So then, why would you want to change something that has worked for so long? There is no point in trying to fix something that isn’t broken.
Is it really that big of a deal that he is on the penny? Some people might argue that he has been on the face for too long and that its time for a change, but then wouldn’t they want to change the faces of all United States currency. Why does it have to be the penny that has to be changed? Why not make the quarter the one to change faces. Maybe Washington can trade with Lincoln penny for quarter.
Then again how much confusion would that cause in the beginning, when the change is introduced. How would today’s society react to such a strange change in currency for no other reason than it was time for a face lift? I don’t think that would go over too well with historians and coin collectors alike.
So why change a good thing when it’s still good? There is no reason. If you’re tired of it then go somewhere else, where you don’t have to look at the US penny. Abraham Lincoln is here to stay. No one says you have to like him but why take him off if no one in recent history is worthy to take his place. However; if someone were to come along and change that fact than be my guest, take Lincoln off the penny. But until then let Lincoln have his “moment of fame”.
Abraham Lincoln should stay on the penny. He was one of the greatest presidents that this country has ever seen, and he led us through one of the toughest times in American history. He is on the penny and it deserves to stay that way.

Remember 9-11

There are many people that have been recognized and rewarded for their achievements. One being our first president George Washington whom is on the dollar bill or President Abraham Lincoln for successfully leading his country in a time of crisis, he was recognized by being placed on the Penny. Some things that is used and exchanged everyday across the United States of America. Why not recognize a time of crisis when the whole country came together as one and overcame a huge disaster. September 11th known as the day the twin towers collapsed and the whole country came together to help one another in need, deserves a real place in history on the American penny.
Though the twin towers collapsing was a very sad part of history for this country, it should still be remembered. All the people that were lost and all the people that lost loved ones. 9/11 was reflected upon for being one of the hardest times that brought America closer more than ever. By placing the twin towers on the penny it would be like expressing a thanks to those that gave all they could to help others in need that day, even their lives. Also it would be a tribute out to the ones that suffered and lost their lives in this incident.
Rather than recognizing just one person such a president or another historical figure like those on all the other forms of money in the United States. Why not recognize millions who saved lives or made an effort to save lives even while risking their own, and truly caring enough to even help strangers in need. I say why not make a tribute to the U.S.A to thank one another for their contributions at such a time of need. Not only was the day the twin towers collapsed a memorable day but it was also a famous land mark in America. The least we could do is place it on the American penny.

Put the Stars and Stripes on the penny

The Lincoln penny has been in use for nearly five hundred years yet is one of the most unused coins in our country. The majority of Americans have their collections of pennies lying in a Mason jar or mug on their nightstand, and will continue to leave them there until they are dumped into the local CoinStar where they will then be turned into a more useful type of currency. Maybe the penny needs a facelift in order to gain a little more respect. Exchanging Lincoln’s face for an American flag may do the penny some justice. What else is more patriotic than the American flag? Also, what is more stereotypical America than having money, only if it is one cent, lying around not being used? Therefore, let’s combine to the two.
The American flag is the symbol of American patriotism. It has found its way into countless aspects of American society, so why not have it on what America values the most; money. The flag is something that people respect. By adding the image of the American flag onto the penny, people might begin to have more respect for that too. In typical American fashion, many people will not use pennies simply because it will take a few more seconds to count them out, rather than just handing the cashier another dollar bill. What people often seem to forget is that if their daily cup of coffee costs $2.07, it is perfectly fine to grab a single, and seven cents. The penny deserves much more respect than it currently has. Having our symbolic American flag on its face may be just the thing to grant it that.

Whoever ends the war!

Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States, has been the symbol of the penny. Since that time, many changes and additions to the United States’ currency have been made in both acts of convenience and honor of past presidents and other leading figures of our country. The idea of changing Lincoln’s place in America’s currency and giving another past president the position of the penny has been brought up due to the recent turn of the century. The question of whose face should be engraved into this one cent coin has been raised, and, in my opinion, such an important role should go to the president who has made a big impact on the country. Since the recent war in the Middle East is coming to a close soon, I think that the man who is responsible for the ending of the war that has taxed our country of resources and armies would be perfect for the symbol of our currency. The role should be given as a reward to the man who wins the recent election. Whoever wins this election will have to deal with the final outcome of the war on terrorism that has been continuing on for the last seven years. The next president, whether Obama or McCain, will have the opportunity to right the mistakes of the previous president. The importance of this outcome will have to be decided by the next president, who acts for his country in its most desperate hour. The man who wins the right to release our country from this tragic war should be rewarded with the honor of being immortalized and remembered through our nation’s currency.

Let's pay homage to Bill Clinton

Everyday we see that copper coin we call a penny with Abraham Lincoln’s face on the front, but do we ever think about why he’s there? Of course because he was an important president with an impact on America’s history, but do we ever think about who else could be on there, that we may even know today? I think that Bill Clinton should be on the U.S. penny starting next year.

Bill Clinton should be on the penny next year, in my opinion, because he was one of the best presidents we’ve had to date. And although his scandalous reputation has stuck with him maybe more than his political achievements, he is still worthy of being printed on the back of an American coin. Not only is his past occupation as Presidency a deciding factor behind his worthiness of the coin, but also what his occupation as Presidency meant for him while he was in office. Bill Clinton, a democrat, was extremely focused on having equality in America, and helping those in need. The penny is a good coin to choose for Clinton because of his focus on minorities and a penny to him seemed to matter the same for any other middle class person or lower class person as well.

America’s economy during his time of presidency also was at one of its best times in years. To think back to the 90’s and how low gas prices and grocery prices were is thought to be unbelievable nowadays. He knew how to focus on our economy and save money for every American to the last penny. All of this evidence shows why he is a good candidate for being on the copper penny we use to this day; to have a reminder of whom really took that penny’s worth into consideration when running the country.

President Clinton was also a democrat, which really gives me a reason to think that he should be on the penny, instead of Lincoln, who indeed was a republican, because in all reality republicans do not focus on those in need nevertheless think of the penny as an important piece of currency to have. A penny for a republican is that of significance as a minority is to them. A coin or any piece of currency I think should be carefully made with a lot reasoning behind why a certain person is put on it, that way it is more special and personal to our country’s very own history.

Honor all the presidents

Abraham Lincoln has been on the United Stated penny since 1909. If next year they were to vote on who should be the next president face on the penny or if it should stay the same I would have to vote to change the face on our penny. Though tradition has it that Abraham Lincoln is the face on out one cent coin, this following year will mark 100 years. Time for a change? I think so. Our Country has done a lot of evolving throughout that 100 year. I understand that Abraham Lincoln has done great things for our country but I believe it would be proper to show our respect to a different late president who has also done great things for the United States of America. There have been 42 United States Presidents to take office. With a quick glance at short biographies of them I believe that all of them have done a service for our country. With them initially being the leaders of the United Stated they all should receive recognition. Why not have all of them? Start with George Washington and every 1-5 years switch it to the next president in line. That way all the presidents will be shown the recognition and respect that they deserve.

Lincoln stands for much

I think that Abraham Lincoln face should remain on the penny. I feel that it stands for more then just putting any old symbol on the coin. He is the first known United States President so it’s understandable why he would be on the first U.S. coin. Also I believe that a countries currency is a foreign matter which is known all over the world. People from governing countries know that this is how U.S. money looks and people understand that we have certain symbolic sayings, symbols, states, as well as our previous presidents faces that we put on our coins. I think if we were to change it I feel that it’s not only a change within our country but other people will soon realize the change. It also might loose some value because this is the format that we’ve been using for centuries; the symbolic meaning will be lost. I also don’t understand what would be so important and deserving of the honor of being on the U.S. penny other the preceding president who’s held the position for so long.

W deserves the honor

For the past ninety-nine years or so Abraham Lincoln has been the face on the U.S. penny. He's also had his face on the five dollar bill for quite a while as well. I believe that it's time for some change. He was one of the greatest presidents of all time so he deserves his place on the five dollar bill but he might be too great for the penny that no one in America really cares about. The worthlessness of a penny doesn't quite fit the memory of Lincoln. That is why next year, I propose that we put George W. Bush on the penny; he's just the man for the job.

The man dubbed dub-yah was and is just about as useful to this country as a penny is to you and me. President Bush's exiting of the white house should be immortalized in his face being put on the penny in 09, when we get some fresh faces in the white house. Quite a few people in America would remember George Bush if they found a penny on the street. They would think to themselves, "Hmm, I remember this guy, he definitely seems like more suitable of a candidate for this coin than Lincoln." Then they would proceed to toss the penny away and forget all about it. In fact, the penny shouldn't even be brought back next year, like bush shouldn't have been brought back to office. It's a worthless coin that no one uses but ninety year old women buying photocopies at the staples copy center. I'm sure the nickel would replace the penny as the lowest valued coin in the U.S. without much fuss.

Leave Lincoln alone

Throughout history, the presidents of America have helped change and mold our country since it’s declaration of independence from Great Britain on July 4th 1776.

A major part of every country in the world is it’s economy and it’s currency. In America we have bills made of paper ranging from one to one hundred in worth. America also has coin currency as well, from the penny to the silver dollar. Each piece of money has a president’s head on it. The dollar bill, for example, has the face of George Washington. Washington was the first real president of the United States.

The note of currency which I feel is most important, yet has the smallest value, is the penny which is worth 1/100 of a dollar. The president’s face which appears here is Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln penny was first made in 1909 to celebrate his 100th birthday and it was the first American coin to have a president’s face on it. Although some people first criticized the idea of putting Lincoln on such a low monetary value coin, the argument that was most heard was the that Lincoln was the common person’s president in his time and therefore, a perfect choice for the common person’s money.

Lincoln is most well known in history as leading the northern states to victory after the secession of the southern states in 1860 and 1861, known today as the Civil War or The War Between the States. He was responsible from making slavery an issue in his famous speech known as the Gettysburg Address which he made on November 19th 1863.

Lincoln led the United States with bravery and courage in the two terms he was president. His assassination in 1865 was met with anger and sadness throughout the entire country. It is my firm belief and opinion that no president in our modern era had the same grace, heart, and love of country more than Lincoln himself, therefore he should stay and forever remain on our most commonly used coin, the cent.

Just a little note from Steve

Everything below here was written by students in my classes last spring. You can read them, of course, but it would be best to leave comments on the pieces done by your classmates this fall. They're all above this post.

The Admiral of the Ocean Sea

Many different people could rock the face of the penny. However, Christopher Columbus is one man who I think could rock it extremely well. I’m sure that everyone familiarizes his name with the discovery of America. Whether or not this is true, I do believe he deserves some credit because even if he wasn’t infact the “first” person to find America, he was the first person to make something of his discovery.
Christopher Columbus’s discovery or should I say “re-discovery” began in 1492 with his first voyage, however, it wasn’t until his third voyage in 1498 that he came upon new land. His discovery is the most important because it made America known worldwide. He was the first to introduce the old world to the new world. He was the first to introduce European culture to the new world. Lastly, he was the first to open up commerce between the new land and the rest of the world.
Christopher Columbus deserves to be the next face of the penny simply because if it wasn’t for him who knows if we would have a penny. Who knows how America would be, so let’s give credit to the man who found it all by placing his face on the penny.

Someone special, but not sure who that is

Coins are in use for a long time. They were the first type of money. If there would be no coins, there would be no money and no economy. Right now they might be not so important, because of their value, but they are still very useful. There are more coins than bills inside our wallets and the most popular coin is penny. Since 1909 that coin did not change. There is George Washington’s face on it. What would happen if somebody else would be on the penny? What kind of a person would be the best? Who it should be?
Person, whose picture would be on a penny, should be very important for American citizens. I think that in the last century there were many people who left a big mark on the history of United States. In the group of those people we can put Martin Luther King, Franklin Delano Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy. The only problem is that I don’t think that they would deserve to be on the most popular coin. That’s why in my opinion the obverse of the penny should be empty. There should be no face on it. Person on that coin should be extraordinary, but in the last century there was nobody like that. Penny should stay empty until there will be somebody in United States, who will change that country. I believe that in the future there will be a human who will help Americans change the way they think, behave or look at each other. That person will help this country to be the strongest society on the planet. He or she will lead American citizens to the top of the world. In my opinion, to be on the penny individual will need to have good skills and qualities combined from all of the greatest people in the world, somebody that we will be proud with. Putting someone on that coin will make Americans feel that this is somebody very important for us, because his or her face is on the most popular coin. That’s why obverse of the penny should be blank and wait for “the perfect one”.
In my opinion for most of people it is not so important who would be on that coin. Those people do not care about the look, but about the value of the money. They don’t care who they have in their wallets as long as it is full. We have to remember that we have more pennies than any other coins or bills and we look at them very often. My personal feeling makes me think that we might not care about that face, but we will remember it. That’s why I think it should be someone special and in our society I don’t recognize that person yet.

Bill Clinton. Period.

George Bush...should not be on the new penny. Sorry to scare some of you, but I couldn’t resist. If we were ever to commemorate a president for his notability and honorable history, without any hesitation, former President Bill Clinton should be elected…again. His legacy is known through his polices on The North American Free Trade Agreement and his contributions to the welfare reform. He also presided over the longest period of peace-time economic expansion in American history, and was a down right badass. President Clinton created a balanced budget and reported federal surplus. He was by far one of the best presidents of this nation, competing with Roosevelt and Lincoln. If any man deserves such an honor, no other person is better qualified than Bill Clinton.

A Rough Rider for the penny

Next Century, I believe Teddy Roosevelt should be featured on the penny. I learned about him when I took history class in high school. Everything that made the foundation of the United States strong is what Theodore stood for. When Pres. McKinley was assassinated, Teddy stepped up becoming the youngest President of the United States at 43 years of age.
Born in New York City in 1958 into a wealthy family, Teddy did whatever was in his power to benefit the public unless it was against the law of the Constitution. Unlike our leaders today in this country with our current Pres. Bush, we’re now slaves for the rich class. The United States economy is so crooked, that there is no longer a middle class. Instead you have the top 1% of the rich, and the rest is poor. Either you have barely enough to support yourself, or you have more than enough. If we had a leader today of Teddy Roosevelt’s caliber, I highly doubt that our country would have these problems. He wouldn’t take advantage of his own people, because he was like us, and thought the same way the common man does.
In 1984, his wife Alice and his mother died on the same day. Teddy spent the next couple of years on a ranch in Badlands Dakota, where he buried his sorrows lived the way he wanted to, driving cattle, and hunting game. Teddy even captured an Outlaw. During this time he found his new wife. The reason I talk about this section of Teddy’s life is to show how he dealt with adversity.
During the Spanish-American War, Teddy was lieutenant Colonel of the Rough Riders Regiment, which he led on a charge at the battle of San Juan. This was a great man and deserves to be honored by being featured on the new U.S penny so that people see his recognize him. I just believe that we need more influence for kids to look up to with the strong character of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Let's honor Dr. King

Most people in the world today whether rich or poor at least have a penny. We may treat this penny like it’s nothing, but it really is something special. A penny allows us to carry along a face of someone who made a huge impact on the world we live in today; to remember someone of complete importance. Without question, Martin Luther King should be the new face on the original penny.
Martin Luther King was one of the most important historical figures of our time. He freed the slaves and helped with segregation among blacks and whites. King made a huge difference in this world and no one can compare. Everyone is fully acquainted with Martin Luther King and we all remember his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Without Martin Luther King, this world would be a completely different place. Blacks and whites would not hold the same respect for each other as they do today. Imagine walking into a city bus and being told where to sit? Or not being able to have interracial relationships?
King made a huge impact on how we perceive people. He taught us that it doesn’t matter what color skin we have, we are all a person inside with dreams, goals and a future ahead of us. We deserve to explore ourselves to our fullest potential and not be held back by anything; especially something as little as skin color.

Space for rent

Companies, organizations, or people, should be allowed to rent out the space on the penny. The person who is renting the penny for the year or however long it many are gets to choose what they put on it. It dose not have to relate to past presidents or anything to do with the government. They could put the company or organizations logo on it or there pet or favorite car.
There is a lot to gain from renting the space on the penny. There would be money going back to the movement, and maybe this would lower our taxes. The penny would serve as a method of advertisement for who ever rent it. It may also give avid coin collectors something ells to collect.

Tossed aside

In today’s economy, pennies are essentially worthless. It would take 375 pennies to purchase one gallon of gas and 125 pennies for one pack of gum. When considering what the penny, a useless form of currency that is honored today but accepted with a sigh, should look life, I tried to think of other aspects of our society that are considered worthless. I realized that the unfortunate people in this country are more willing to accept a penny, and less fortunate to make them.
My concept is this: put our unfortunate fellow Americans on the face of the penny. What better way to remind people of those who suffer with an ironic twist? The irony would be that the penny a form of money which is lacking in many lives. I believe seeing those people who are jobless, homeless, parentless, friendless, poor, trapped, imprisoned would raise awareness and help people strive to do better.
We are in a time where nothing is certain and everything costs something. A penny symbolizes how much America has changed since when it was created. Money makes the world go round yet money is also hard to get your hands on and even harder to save. With a recession looming and a war still going, who knows what is going to happen… I don’t. There are so many questions left unanswered in our country, yet no one is really acknowledging the fact that there are so many.
I don’t want to see a person who did something years and years ago or each state with a pretty little picture on my money. Reality tells us that in each of those states there are crimes, deaths, losses, and uncertainty towards education. Show me a Connecticut quarter, you see a tree. I see high taxes, crime rates in Hartford, and children that are starving all over the state. The country is not a happy place all the time, and for happy signs to be printed and engraved on our money, the thing in our lives that causes the most unhappiness, is ironically saddening and frustrating.
I don’t exactly know what Abraham Lincoln achieved as president, along with most of the other presidents. I do know what is going on today. The prices keep rising, yet our money is mockingly staying the same. It is useless paper until you place that last stamp, then it turns into something that rules your life. I hate money, and I hate pennies. They are pointless pieces of change that remind me of those helpless people who are ignored and thrown away, but are still very much there.
Homeless, parentless, friendless, poor, trapped, imprisoned, there are so many people suffering. In some weird way, the penny reminds me of all those people. Pennies are ignored, laughed at, thrown away. They don’t matter, but they are still money. Just like the poor don’t really matter and are ignored. The funny thing is if a homeless person asks for money, you would most likely give them your pennies. You figure they could make something with it.
Pennies are everywhere. Why not raise awareness on issues that are affecting our homeland? Who knows if it could work, but if people are reminded everyday of the issues that our people are facing, they might be moved to act.

Meet the new penny

Its 12:23 on a Friday night and I am hungry. I’m craving something meaty, cheesy, and filled with things unknown to man. I get in my 1990 dodge Colt and putter off to the local McDonalds. Arriving at the menu board I turn off my car so that the obnoxious moan of my broken exhaust does not prevent the drive-threw attendant from hearing my order. “Can I get a double cheeseburger with Big Mac sauce, and extra pickles?
“Does that complete your order?”
“Yes” I reply
“Dollar six, second window please”
So I take wallet out of my back pocket and remove a dollar. I then sift through my cup holder filled with change and find a dime. I give the money to the lady behind the window. She punches $1.10 into her register and the drawer pops open. She deposits the money and hands back four pennies. I roll up my window and instinctively drop the 4 pennies into my cup holder. The truth is, I probably won’t touch these pennies again until the next time I go to a drive through. Every American should know what a penny looks like, and who is on it (or at least I would hope so seeing as it has had the same man on it for the last 100 years). But what if that was to change? What person could take the place of the best president in American history? Not the second or third best, because they both of them are already featured on us coins.
The answer is nobody. The redesign of the penny will not be home to any American’s face. The front of the new penny will display a unique saying, quote, inspirational message, or a combination of lucky numbers. Much like what you would find on the piece of paper tucked inside a fortune cookie.

Give us your downtrodden...

In today’s economy, pennies are essentially worthless. It would take 375 pennies to purchase one gallon of gas and 125 pennies for one pack of gum. When considering what the penny, a useless form of currency that is honored today but accepted with a sigh, should look life, I tried to think of other aspects of our society that are considered worthless. I realized that the unfortunate people in this country are more willing to accept a penny, and less fortunate to make them.
My concept is this: put our unfortunate fellow Americans on the face of the penny. What better way to remind people of those who suffer with an ironic twist? The irony would be that the penny a form of money which is lacking in many lives. I believe seeing those people who are jobless, homeless, parentless, friendless, poor, trapped, imprisoned would raise awareness and help people strive to do better.
We are in a time where nothing is certain and everything costs something. A penny symbolizes how much America has changed since when it was created. Money makes the world go round yet money is also hard to get your hands on and even harder to save. With a recession looming and a war still going, who knows what is going to happen… I don’t. There are so many questions left unanswered in our country, yet no one is really acknowledging the fact that there are so many.
I don’t want to see a person who did something years and years ago or each state with a pretty little picture on my money. Reality tells us that in each of those states there are crimes, deaths, losses, and uncertainty towards education. Show me a Connecticut quarter, you see a tree. I see high taxes, crime rates in Hartford, and children that are starving all over the state. The country is not a happy place all the time, and for happy signs to be printed and engraved on our money, the thing in our lives that causes the most unhappiness, is ironically saddening and frustrating.
I don’t exactly know what Abraham Lincoln achieved as president, along with most of the other presidents. I do know what is going on today. The prices keep rising, yet our money is mockingly staying the same. It is useless paper until you place that last stamp, then it turns into something that rules your life. I hate money, and I hate pennies. They are pointless pieces of change that remind me of those helpless people who are ignored and thrown away, but are still very much there.
Homeless, parentless, friendless, poor, trapped, imprisoned, there are so many people suffering. In some weird way, the penny reminds me of all those people. Pennies are ignored, laughed at, thrown away. They don’t matter, but they are still money. Just like the poor don’t really matter and are ignored. The funny thing is if a homeless person asks for money, you would most likely give them your pennies. You figure they could make something with it.

Many different faces would be best

Lincoln has stood for ideals, we still to this day as Americans have a hard time following. The Nation has kept him safe in there piggy banks for close to one hundred years. Could it be time for a fresh new face on that shiny piece of “copper”? Maybe, The U.S. Mint could overhaul the Penny, as it did with the Quarter. The states quarter took ten years to mint every state, (five states every year). Over all the public embraced the idea and gave us something to look forward to when getting change back from the cashier. Giving the penny a facelift could prove to be an interesting adventure, just think in ten years they could come up with fifty people that made a difference in this country and around the world. You would never know whose face you would be sticking down your pants pocket.

No replacement for Lincoln

It is obvious, that people portrayed on the US money are examples of individuals, whose visions
and revolutionary ideas echoed as great improvements in the development of our country. We know them from our American history as Founding Fathers, US Presidents or other brave people, who dedicated their lives to fight for the betterment of masses. We will always admire and respect them for their achievements.
Because of this statement we all agree, that privilege of being placed on bills and coins is reserved only to those people, whose are fitting to this special group. Do we really have to be like them in order to receive the same opportunity or privilege of being printed on the money? Maybe we can print whoever we want.

To make a response for the main topic of this assignment I had to do a deeper study on Abraham Lincoln’s biography. By doing so, I came to the conclusion that I do not see or know anybody, who could be equal with the greatness as Abraham Lincoln possessed. There is nobody among our politicians, who can have such magnificent charisma. Most of our presidents were working for the interest of the elite of richand powerful people. Only few of them can be pointed as great souls, who wanted to help common people.
To praise Abraham Lincoln I want to say, that he was one of great leaders, who was able to understand the poor and hardworking population, because he grew up among them. This is his “secret” of being so special and unique. This is why I see him not replaceable.

Time to honor Margaret Sanger

I think that Margaret Sanger should be on the penny, Abraham Lincoln has been on the penny close to a decade and I think it’s only fair to give someone else a chance to let people know what their contribution to the world was. If we look back to the numerous faces on dollar bills and coins we would recognize that they are all important people who have contributed to our society in some way, shape, or form. Well I think that Margaret Sanger should have her moment to shine because she is important too. To those who do not know why she is important, this may be the way for them to find out and ask questions.
Margaret Sanger is known for her crusade to legalize birth control which later spurred the movement for women’s liberalization. As a young girl Margaret witnessed her mother’s slow death worn out after 18 pregnancies and 11 live births. Later while working as a nurse and midwife in the poorest neighborhoods of New York city before World War I she saw women deprived of their health, sexuality and ability to care for children already born. She was appalled at the death from self-induced abortions
Contraceptive information was suppressed by clergy-influenced, physician accepted laws. It was this injustice that inspired Sanger to defy the church and the state. In 1914 she launched a feminist monthly The Woman Rebel which advocated birth control. In 1916 she opened the US’s first family planning clinic in Brooklyn and was arrested for creating public nuisance. She later escaped to Europe to avoid severe criminal penalties after being indicted for inciting violence and promoting obscenity. Her case was dismissed after her return to the States but she continued to push legal and social boundaries by initiating sex counseling and organizing the first international population conference. Her struggle with law dramatized her cause and won doctors the right to dispense birth-control information to their patients.
In 1921 she founded the American Birth Control League which became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She spread her wings to as far as Japan and India where organizations she helped start still flourish. Sanger was past 80 when she saw the first marketing of a contraceptive pill, which she helped develop. Sanger’s brave and joyous life included fulfilling work, three children, two husbands and an international network of friends and colleagues. She was charismatic and never abandoned her focus on women’s freedom. She lived as if she and everyone else had the right to control her or his own life. By word and deed, she pioneered the most radical and humane political movements of the century. She died on Sept 6, 1996 in Tuscan, Arizona. For all her trials and tribulations I believe she should be able to have her face put on the U.S Penny.

Walt Disney,just to mix it up

Abe Lincoln has been on the penny for around a hundred years. It’s time for a change. What kind of people are on government money? For the most part the people featured are heroes. George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Sacagawea are only three of the well known men and women important enough to put on money. Abe Lincoln was important too, but he is already on the five dollar bill. It’s time for a change.
I would like to see Walt Disney on the penny. The all time question bearer, a.k.a. children, ask parents often who people are. If they see the new penny with Walt Disney on it and they question who he is they will find out that he is the creator of many of their favorite movies and one of their favorite T.V. channels. Then when they ask who George Washington was and they find he was the first president of the United States of America, they will learn something very important in life. They will see that you don’t have to be the President to be important in life. It’s a good lesson for the children.
Also, Disney would be great for the penny because its fun. Who wouldn’t want to see a picture of Walt himself with maybe a character or two behind him? Disney just makes you feel good. That’s why so many people take at least one trip to Disneyland or world in his/her life. If we could have the magical feeling of Disney in our pocket maybe we would value the penny so much more.
Yes, ole’ Abe is just fine for the penny but we should mix it up; even if it’s for the heck of it!