9-year-old girl stood up for what she believes in, and then got a letter back from President Obama

[bigtree]

Barack Obama ‏@BarackObama 36m36 minutes ago
This 9-year-old girl stood up for what she believes in, and then got a letter back from the President: http://ofa.bo/b4Gc

"Why don’t women have coins or dollar bills with their faces on it?"

President Obama made waves last year when he mentioned he had received a letter from a little girl asking him to put some women on U.S. currency, which he called a “pretty good idea.” That letter was from Sofia, a Massachusetts girl who was just finishing third grade at the time.

“I was studying Ann Hutchinson, who stood up for women’s rights,” she says. “Almost everyone who chose a boy, on their poster they had pictures of different dollar bills or coins with their person on it. So I noticed, why don’t women have coins or dollar bills with their faces on it?”

Sofia, now 9, knew immediately what she had to do. “I just came home from school and said, ‘I need to write to the president.’” Sofia’s mother provided her letter exclusively to TIME:



Last month, Sofia finally got a personalized letter back from the President, along with an invitation to attend this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll. Here’s what President Obama wrote to her:




read: http://ofa.bo/b4Gc

related:

President Obama wants faces of women on U.S. currency
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025316066

[bluestateguy]

1. Conservatives would say:

"Ok. How about Phyliss Schlafly, Anita Bryant or Sarah Palin".

[bigtree]

2. I'd respond that none of those choices are as historically important or even as notable

...as the women listed by this 9 year-old.

[kydo]

3. But they aren't women

mutant teenage turtles maybe, of course that is a total insult to turtles and teenagers plus mutants ..... but inspirational women? for sure not.

[Travis_0004]

5. You are required to be dead to be on US currency.

For example. The US president dollar coins will skip carter, issue a regan coin then end the program since carter is not eligable to be on us currency while he is alive.

[Jim Lane]

6. I guess brain-dead doesn't count. (n/t)

[Corey_Baker08]

12. Are You Seriously Implying President Carter Is Brain Dead?

If so you are a f*ckin A$$Hole

[Jim Lane]

13. Thanks for the gratuitous vulgarity.

Context here: bluestateguy named three women that conservatives might want to see on currency. In response, Travis_0004 said they were disqualified because they weren't dead yet. I jokingly responded to Travis_0004 to the effect that advocates for Schlafly, Bryant, and Palin wouldn't be able to get around that rule by pointing out that their heroines were brain dead.

Given that it's a Democratic message board, I would have thought it fairly easy for a reader to resolve any ambiguity about whom I meant.

[valerief]

4. She's clearly a smart girl, but I'm appalled at her handwriting for a 9-year-old.

I don't blame her one bit for the sloppy handwriting. I blame the schools. I don't blame her teachers. I blame the schools for not valuing the importance of handwriting. I'm an old broad, and I recall that by the second or third grade we could all write legibly.

Maybe I'm making too much of this. Maybe her writing surface was less than perfect. Or maybe all 9-year-olds write like this.

[closeupready]

8. You're making too much of that detail, yes.

[seabeyond]

9. you are making too much of it. at nine, that is pretty good. nt

[bigtree]

10. unlined paper always presented a challenge for me

...especially at that age.

Some children do better, but I wouldn't be concerned as much about her handwriting as I would be impressed with her interest, motivation, and detail engaging in and remarking on public affairs.

[Jim Lane]

7. Obama should have mentioned that Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea were on dollar coins.

This little girl has probably never seen either one. I didn't like the Anthony dollar because it was too similar to the quarter, but I like the Sacagawea "golden dollar" and I wish it were more popular.

[bigtree]

11. heh, she likely has that info by now

...I'm instantly reminded of the tendency of folks on the internet to make observations like that in response to ideas expressed which deserve focus on their own merit. We do that a lot here, many times without acknowledging the points made at all...just a pet peeve of mine.

(not trying to be overly critical of your point, I just appreciate his focus on her effort, without taking away from it with something like you suggest)

[zipplewrath]

14. Adams

I'd probably vote for Abigail Adams first. Her contributions are greater than most know.
Of course putting Rosa Parks on there would explode the heads of the bigots and that might be worth it by itself.