Eliminate the Penny

Our political systems are far too profoundly influenced by moneyed interests, and eliminating the penny will fix none of that. We cannot accomplish simple and obvious things because there is nothing to be gained politically by accomplishing them. In 18 57, the united states was only a few years away from a civil war. To me, the ongoing existence of the penny symbolizes not only our inability to find common ground, but also our inability to acknowledge places where common ground already exists.