Hopefully you've heard about the movement to replace Andrew Jackson on the 20 dollar bill. Maybe some of you have heard about it, but don't know the details. Well I'm here to help!
First of all, there are no women on any of our paper money, which is a big reason why there is a movement to put one on there. But why Jackson? Let me tell you, this year I took 'Jacksonian America' - a three hour seminar, so I've got a lot to say. Don't worry, I'll keep it brief. Jackson is accredited with some big things, mainly the Bank of the US, and balancing the federal debt. However, what is frequently overlooked is Jackson's role in the genocide of thousands of native Americans. Before Jackson, the US government had designated specific lands to the Native Americans living in US territory. As president, Jackson decide to remove those Native Americans from the land that had been given them, and forced them to travel across the country to new, smaller land. This route is known as the Trail of Tears, where thousands of Native Americans died as a result of Jackson issuing the Indian Removal Act, which was issued because Jackson did not want the natives to assimilate into American culture.
Politicians tried to make Jackson see other options, but he was set on removal. Because of this, he is responsible for this historic genocide. Yes, it is considered genocide. So why remove Jackson? Well, why would honor someone responsible for so much bad, when we could honor one of the brilliant women in American history.
Another good reason is because the number 20 is a symbol for women's rights. 1920 was the year that women finally gained the right to vote- so the 20 dollar bill would be a perfect match.
...Also, Jackson opposed paper money, so isn't it a bit ironic that he's on a bill at all?
So, what do you guys think?
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2015
No Freedom til We're Equal
So I created this blog a couple months ago and then got so caught up in LSAT studying that I didn't get to post, but I'm free! (For now). But guess who else is free today?
Hopefully the story I've chosen to discuss today is something you already know about. A few years ago, the Supreme Court shot down DOMA- the Defense of Marriage Act, which said that the federal definition of marriage was that of a union between a man and a woman. By shooting it down, they made it possible for states to legalize gay marriage. However, this didn't mean they made it federally legal; it just wasn't illegal.
In the past few months, the court was reviewing a movement to make gay marriage federally legal. Until now, the states themselves reserved the right to each decide if they wanted to legalize it or not. Today, the Supreme Court declared gay marriage federally legal, meaning that gay couples can now get legally married in any of the 50 states.
(Fun fact, the first marriage after this was legalized was in Texas, of all states!)
So why is this important to know? The world is changing, and unfortunately for some people our age, we were raised in our parents shadows- taught to not be as open as the new world wants us to be. I know plenty of kids who are unaccepting simply because they were raised in that kind of atmosphere. Well today history was made, and you should all take a minute to appreciate what the world is coming to. America now, like many countries, has made a new step in equality- marriage equality. No longer can the states deny rights for married couples. I am grateful to be a part of a world that recognizes the need for equality among its citizens, and you should too. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone down the road to creating equality for all- regardless of religion, race, or gender.
P.S. - I'm lucky to be a straight, white, upper-middle class person. I haven't faced a ton on of prejudice, except that of being a woman, and being a college student. I like having the ability to use my privilege to speak for those who can't speak for themselves- those of different gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, race, social class, etc. The gay marriage movement was supported by all of the gay community, but also by members of the straight community who spoke up for those different than them.
Hopefully the story I've chosen to discuss today is something you already know about. A few years ago, the Supreme Court shot down DOMA- the Defense of Marriage Act, which said that the federal definition of marriage was that of a union between a man and a woman. By shooting it down, they made it possible for states to legalize gay marriage. However, this didn't mean they made it federally legal; it just wasn't illegal.
In the past few months, the court was reviewing a movement to make gay marriage federally legal. Until now, the states themselves reserved the right to each decide if they wanted to legalize it or not. Today, the Supreme Court declared gay marriage federally legal, meaning that gay couples can now get legally married in any of the 50 states.
(Fun fact, the first marriage after this was legalized was in Texas, of all states!)
So why is this important to know? The world is changing, and unfortunately for some people our age, we were raised in our parents shadows- taught to not be as open as the new world wants us to be. I know plenty of kids who are unaccepting simply because they were raised in that kind of atmosphere. Well today history was made, and you should all take a minute to appreciate what the world is coming to. America now, like many countries, has made a new step in equality- marriage equality. No longer can the states deny rights for married couples. I am grateful to be a part of a world that recognizes the need for equality among its citizens, and you should too. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone down the road to creating equality for all- regardless of religion, race, or gender.
P.S. - I'm lucky to be a straight, white, upper-middle class person. I haven't faced a ton on of prejudice, except that of being a woman, and being a college student. I like having the ability to use my privilege to speak for those who can't speak for themselves- those of different gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, race, social class, etc. The gay marriage movement was supported by all of the gay community, but also by members of the straight community who spoke up for those different than them.
Intro, 101
I am a political science student, and over the past few years I've taken a number of courses that taught me one thing: to be a democratic citizen, you must be informed and involved. We are extremely lucky to live in a democracy, but if you aren't exercising that freedom, then you don't deserve it. Supreme Court Justices Breyer and Scalia, though disagreeing on most subjects, agreed in stating that a proper citizen of a democracy is one that is active in knowing what is going on in their society.
I know it's hard. You're busy, you don't have easy access to the news. I get it. I really wanted to create something easy for college students. So I decided to start a blog where I could just every now and then mention something big in the news, briefly describe it, and explain why it's important to know.
Don't exercise hypocrisy within your democracy. Just open up the blog and read a paragraph or two. I promise it'll be a positive experience. Maybe you'll even become interested in something.
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