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.
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.
5 comments:
I laughed when i read this. You can relate so easily to the start of it. and the writer brings up some awesome points that just dominate the his/her opinion.
Very funny, great tongue in cheek.
This was good. It doesn't fully make sense that a great president like Lincoln would be put on the lowest value of currency. But I suppose that's why he got upgraded to the 5 buck bill. The was very funny.
Pretty funny. Gerald Ford is more penny material than Lincoln.
Thanks a lot, I'm trying to control my laughter here in the classroom.
I'm sure there was a more useless president than Ford, but he's a good candidate.
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