Whose Picture Should Be On Our Money?

[andyfox]

In another thread, there was mention that Andrew Jackson didn't deserve to be on our currency.

I've always thought it's time we put people other than politicians on our money. Maybe we could rotate who appeared. Here are ten candidates who I think contributed a lot to what makes America great:

Louis Armstrong
Lou Gehrig
Mark Twain
Frank Lloyd Wright
Fred Astaire
Jimmy Stewart
Harriet Tubman
Eleanor Roosevelt
Dr. Seuss
Jonas Salk

[bernie]

[andyfox]

Funny, I was also going to post an anti-list, headed by Larry Flynt . . .

[bernie]

I think she's provided more 'relief' to the single male than any president we've had.

Im suprised our money doesnt have corporate sponsorship yet. I wonder if that would raise the value of the dollar?

[andyfox]

Did you turn your five dollar bill into a twenty? No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night . . .

[Chris Alger]

I mostly like this list. (Fred Astaire?)

It would be great to substitute Mark Twain for Grant or Jackson. (But to upgrade from those two we could stop at Cheech and Chong). I'd nominate Frederick Douglas, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, John L. Louis and Louis Brandeis.

And I'd replace Hamilton with Madison for the next 100 years, but with a bill so that, folded just the right way, the White House is shown in flames.

[Clarkmeister]

"In another thread, there was mention that Andrew Jackson didn't deserve to be on our currency. "


What bill is he on? I don't recall. But I do know that Peter Gammons has done nothing to deserve his place of honor on the $20 bill.

[dsm]

I really like your pick of Louis Armstrong. I can't think of any other entertainer worthy of such an honor.

[Phat Mack]

If I ever run into you, please remind me to buy you the beverage of your choice. I have been advocating the same thing for years, with much the same list. I would have thought of Willie Mays before Lou Gerhig, but perhaps Mays still being alive disqualifies him. I would have put Astaire closer to the top. I might have added Jimi Hendrix, but I'm not going to press it. Good post!

[ThaSaltCracka]

can we substitute Dr. Suess with MLK?

[Ed Miller]

If I could put people on money, this is what I'd do:

Coins (Politicians)
Thomas Jefferson - nickel
FDR - dime
George Washington - quarter
Abraham Lincoln - dollar coin
Ben Franklin - two dollar coin

Currency (Non-politicians)
Thomas Edison - five dollar bill
Mark Twain - ten dollar bill
Jackie Robinson - twenty dollar bill
Louis Armstrong - hundred dollar bill
Albert Einstein - five hundred dollar bill

This fixes two of my pet peeves... only politicians on money (including double-dippers Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson) and bad denominations. I'd love to get rid of the penny, half, and one dollar bill and add a one dollar coin, two dollar coin, and five hundred dollar bill.

[John Cole]

Wright--perhaps a few too many skeletons in that closet for many Americans. Glad to see him on your list.

Jimmy Stewart !

Fred Astaire--There may be troubles ahead / But while there's music and love and romance / Let's face the music and dance. !!!

Let me suggest H.D. Thoreau, W.C. Handy, and George and Ira Gershwin.

[GWB]

[ QUOTE ]


Louis Armstrong
Lou Gehrig
Mark Twain
Frank Lloyd Wright
Fred Astaire
Jimmy Stewart
Harriet Tubman
Eleanor Roosevelt
Dr. Seuss
Jonas Salk





[/ QUOTE ]

I am against the celebrification of the monetary system. Many of your choices are political (you don't have to be a politician to be a political celebrity - think Hillary and her spirit guide Eleanor)

I hope to be honored on the currency someday - for winning the war on terror.

I don't think our greatest Presidents can be on too may denominations - a Lincoln or Washington on every denomination would suit me fine.

W

[ericd]

Check him out. One of the most forgotten men in history. His accomplishments measure up against anyones.

[ACPlayer]

I nominate "Woody Guthrie" for his truly patriotic song intially titled "God Bless America" retitled "This Land Was Made For You And Me". And while we are at it lets put the title of his song on the bills, instead of the meaningless "In God We Trust".

While conservatives are usually happy to sing this song it is actually a celebration of more liberal values. The following stanzas of the initial version of the song are almost never sung:

This land is ...

In the squares of the city by the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office I saw my people
And some were stumbling and some were wondering if
This land was made for you and me.

This land is ...

As I went rumbling that dusty highway
I saw a sign that said private property
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
This land was made for you and me.

This land is ...

Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking my freedom highway
Nobody living can make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

[John Cole]

Andy, Phat Mack, and I approve of Fred Astaire; therefore, he's a virtual lock.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

You made my day. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
This fixes two of my pet peeves... only politicians on money

[/ QUOTE ]

There are non-politicians on our money.

The Sacajawea-whatever dollar. Along with the old Susan B dollar. But that's hardly worth mentioning.

b

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Thomas Edison

[andyfox]

Yes. A devious businessman, but we don't need perfect people (Frank Lloyd Wright was a horrible man.), but people who accomplished special things.

[andyfox]

Excellent choice.

[andyfox]

Excellent choice.

[andyfox]

Wright was quite a nut, but what an architect. Maybe we should have a group for a few years (Architects: FLW, Louis Sullivan; Thomas Jefferson; Henry Hobson Richardson, etc.) then musicians (your additions are great ones; I'd also add Duke Ellington); then artists, etc.

[MMMMMM]

I can think of lots of men and women who should be on our stamps.

[andyfox]

I agreed with Time magazine's selection of Einstein as the greatest man of the 20th century. Might be a problem for some people since he wasn't born in the USA. Then again, neither was Thomas Jefferson.

[andyfox]

Yes, I know, they're all honored with stamps, but we rarely see those, whereas everybody sees the money every day. I just think it would be nice to remind people that, without denigrating the indispenable contributions of George Washington, Louis Armstrong also made life better for Americans and, while nowhere near as significant as Washington, is an important and wonderful part of our national heritage too.

[andyfox]

A much better idea indeed.

[andyfox]

Looking at your picture, perhaps Foghorn Leghorn should make the cut. Or at least Mel Blanc.

I once sat next to Mel Blanc in a restaurant. It was the celebrity I was most excited to see in my life. Shows what kind of intellect I have. Life would be substantially less enjoyable without Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.

[andyfox]

Lindbergh's achievement was special, but I'm not sure if the negatives might outweigh the positives. Don't know enough about him to say. Was he involved with anti-semitic groups?

[MMMMMM]

Maybe Washington, Lincoln, Franklin, etc. on the currency, and Armstrong, Thoreau, Edison, etc. on the coin?

[andyfox]

To me, the greatest movie personalities of the first fifty years of American cinema were Chaplin and Astaire. Virtually, all dancers, from Baryshnikov (sp?) to Michael Jackson have cited Astaire as the greatest dancer and greatest influence on their dancing style.

[andyfox]

Yes, maybe they could do something like they did with the quarter, putting the 50 states on the back: put 50 great non-politician Americans. Inevitably, there'd be some controversy (if they used, say, Henry Ford or Babe Ruth), but maybe that'd be good, educate people about important personages from our past.

[ericd]

si

[ericd]

Nazi sympathizer. Major proponent of America's First (isolationism) which caused FDR and Churchill lots of grief. Lend/Lease was the work around.

[andyfox]

/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I literally laughed out loud, remembering that great bit from the Jack Benny show.

Come to think of it, Jack Benny should be on our money. Talk about the irony! /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[ericd]

Jack Benny for sure.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

we don't need perfect people ...but people who accomplished special things.

Then Edison fits, your knee-jerk anti-capitalist attitude not withstanding.

[andyfox]

Yes, I agree. On all counts. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Fair enough /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

There's also a school of thought that the Lindberghs killed their own child and framed Hauptmann.

[andyfox]

Ycch, I hadn't heard that one.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I've heard it regularly specuated about in NJ. I don't attest to the validity. Some of the forensic evidence against Hauptmann seems pretty compelling, but there was a distinct anti-foreigner bent to the case.

[superleeds]

[GWB]

[ QUOTE ]
Queen Elizabeth II

[/ QUOTE ]
We have to limit ourselves to Americans and they must be dead.

British Monarchs that once ruled over some or all of the 13 American colonies:
George III
George II
George I
Anne
William III and Mary II
James II
Charles II
Charles I
James I
Elizabeth I (but this colony was "lost")

Some other monarchs ruled over territories that later became part of the US (i.e. Oregon Territory - British, Louisiana - French and Spanish)

W

[Sloats]

[moondogg]

[ QUOTE ]
To me, the greatest movie personalities of the first fifty years of American cinema were Chaplin and Astaire. Virtually, all dancers, from Baryshnikov (sp?) to Michael Jackson have cited Astaire as the greatest dancer and greatest influence on their dancing style.


[/ QUOTE ]

Ummm, does any significant portion of Americans really care about influential dancers?

[John Cole]

For many years, Astaire also defined style in satorial matters. Had a crummy voice, but what a great singer.

As far as Chaplin goes, I see the one dollar bill with the final closeup from City Lights.

[Phat Mack]

perhaps Foghorn Leghorn should make the cut.

Boy! I say, Boy: Better me than that pip-squeak, Henery Hawk!

Foghorn (Fancy-free, and free for anything fancy.)

[BadBoyBenny]

I think someone already said it, but it would be fitting to trade our most racist president for our greatest civil rights activist.

Just for laughs I'll throw out Anthony Scalia too

[Ed Miller]

Might be a problem for some people since he wasn't born in the USA.

I picked him partly because he wasn't born in the country.

[Cyrus]

Let's see is "the military/industrial complex" would allow that.

/images/graemlins/cool.gif

By the way, putting artists on currency is ugly, IMO. Let the artists stay in our collective memory, alive in their work (or, in John-Cole English, in their oeuvre). And let the politicians end up where they should, after a lifetime of looking out for posterity : alternatively squashed between thumb and forefinger or next to people's balls.

[pretender2k]

On the twenty we should have some crack whore that earns her money the hard way.

[Moyer]

Has anyone voted for a fish yet?

How about a big greasy sucker fish?