Penny Synthesis

“A penny saved is a penny earned” (Benjamin Franklin). In The United States virtually anyone can find a symbolic reminder of why the nation has flourished the way it has and why it continues. The pride that a usual American holds within themselves is the reason why the The United States continues to flourished rather then to terminate all the advancements. The smelly, bent, copper penny is one of those present reminders of the path and transition the nation had to go through in order to get to the position it currently holds at this moment. However, in todays society it has been questioned whether the preservation of the penny should continue because of the image of “uselessness” that has been implemented throughout the years. Pennies should
not be eliminated because no matter how “useless” or “annoying” they may be pennies are not only important to the daily lives of most people but they are an important aspect of the history as well. The use of the penny has its roots deeply implemented in todays current society which would cause this transition to be nearly impossible.
For centuries the people that currently reside some where in The United States are fully adapted to the use of the penny and its factors. By eliminating the penny from the economy would shake the daily lives of many causing tensions and would force citizens to fully adapt again because as it says in the article, Penny Pinchers, if the penny is eliminated the “rounding off “of “prices to the nearest nickel” would happen, by doing this it would most likely be rounded to the higher number because of the fear of losing profit which would cause an average person to lose what seem like only cents into a larger amount over the years. All this factors override the purpose and the benefits of eliminating the penny from the economy. Another factor would be the necessity of having to go and face the majority of those who oppose this elimination as it shows in The Harris Poll #51. Essentially those who are anti-penny would have to convince more then half of the other citizens which would be almost impossible without the proper propaganda, which in reality it still not be enough to change their positions if they are even willing to reconsider. When evaluating and the benefits and all the factors congress must dell with the factors that congress must over come weight out the actual
benefits. However, like all controversial topics there are always people that oppose and believe the pennies are worthless and annoying. Some argue that pennies are “pesky one-cent coins” that “continue to jingle uselessly in people’s pockets” (LEWIS). However, as “pesky” as they may seem they are very worthy of keeping especially over long periods of time because although they are worth very little alone when someone accumulates many of them like “Edmond Knowles” where he “saved an average of about 90 pennies a day for the last 38 years” he was able to collect “1,108,459 pennies, or 13,084.59” (Kahn). So as “worthless” as citizens argue them to be experiences like these flaw them out. Weller’s article argues that only “5.6 percent” of pennies “disappear from circulation”. If congress actually were to cancel out pennies from the economy congress would be going against all odds because it would cause a crack in the pricing system. Cashiers, clergyman, bankers, and virtually anyone who handles money would be forced to learn the new system which would take more time then just waiting for a customer to pick out some pennies from their pocket. Lastly, when anti-penny citizens argue the same as Mr. Safire where they mention that The Unite States is falling behind on industrialization unlike “the Brits and the French” one concern comes to mind, if one goes back in time to the moment where the 13 colonies separated most would say they separated in order to have a chance to do things differently and in better terms then England and now less then half of the population wishes to be more like “the Brits and the French” (Safire) this seems a bit ironic. This also goes to show how many would rather follow a “trend” rather then safe others from chaos. This all together goes to show how the the opposing argument about pennies is flawed and not necessary all correct. Pennies are a symbol of the nations achievements and changes which causes it to be historically significant throughout history itself.
The penny is a present day remembrance of one of the greatest presidents the U.S. has ever had and “the penny is perhaps the most visible and tangible reminder of Lincoln’s significance in American history” (press release). Lincoln’s Monument is just as important as the White House or any of the other monuments whether they are presented on a coin or even just known by many they are all there to protect and to preserve all the nations history and achievements. As shown on the Penny Visual, pennies have existed from what seems like the beginning it has adapted and has changed as did everything else but most importantly has helped preserve a piece of the nation. And if Congress bans the preservation of these pennies not only will it hinder this nations memory but erase its importance from the later generations. All in all, no matter what the anti-penny citizens argue flaws are always visible and they desire to change for the wrong reasons rather then the right one. So no matter how “pesky” or how loud the “jiggling” of the penny is Congress must not eliminate the penny not only the sake of the citizens but the history of the United States of
America.