Essay Help

Hey, I have an essay due by the 10th of May. Would be cool if you all could give your thoughts and opinions of my piece. The essay's topic is about why or why not should we remove the penny as part of the US's currency. He gave us 8 sources, so please ignore the "Source C states..." etc.

Here it is:

I've barely ever used a penny in my entire life. I've never scrounged around for it in my pocket because I needed one more cent to buy an item. But I do see them everyday, either lying on the sidewalk or in dusty jars, never to be used but always to be collected. It's times like these that illustrate why the penny is worthless. Nevertheless, people continue to place a sentimental value on it the penny despite how the it's commonly treated.

Although recently I recognized the penny for its sentimental value, I began to wonder why that value is so deeply rooted in it. According to Source E, the Harris Poll states that 59% of the adults asked opposed abolishing the penny. Perhaps it's because people argue that the penny is a memorial of Lincoln, a memorial that will never fade unless the penny does not continue to be minted. However, though Lincoln's face is clearly emblazoned on the penny, neither Lincoln's achievements nor his death come to my mind as I see them lying on the sidewalk. Furthermore, it's outright embarrassing that we remember Lincoln, the very president who kept this nation together, by a coin that's barely copper, and is tossed out and disregarded.

Even more embarrassing is the fact that pennies cost more to make than what they're worth. Source C states, "[It's] about 1.7 cents to make a penny and 8 cents to make a nickel. That in turn has reduced the overall profits the federal government realizes from making and circulating new coins into the economy." Source C also confirms that we could save 39 million dollars a year depending on the changes. Compared to our annual deficits, that sum of money is nothing. But I would rather gain 39 million every year than lose it. Especially if the only reason why we're keeping the penny (which makes us lose money) is because of its sentimental value. If that is the case, then we definitely need to rid ourselves of it. There are greater memorials that commemorate our champions and heroes than a copper coin that's thrown on the wayside, a copper coin that's trodden over, a copper coin that's trashed by the very same people who defend it.

As mentioned by Source A, "Fans of this coin snidely note that Kolbe's home state of Arizona is rich in copper—which makes up a bigger percentage of the larger-denomination coins that might be more heavily used if the penny were to be discontinued." But if states like Arizona which are rich in copper can make more money by removing the penny, why would you hinder their possible success? Therefore, getting rid of the penny will pave the way for a boost in the economy for states like Arizona. The Sacagawea "golden dollar" (proposed by Kolbe in Source A) is mostly made of copper, which would greatly benefit Arizona and other states like it. Kolbe, an Arizona Republican (Source A), is only looking out for his home state, whom he obviously seeks to gain favor with. That act in itself is not wrong.

The penny had its glory days, but those days are long gone. Now a pointless item, the penny deserves nothing more than to be removed as a coin in our currency. It's not only a hinderance to our economy, but it also fails to properly commemorate Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents there ever was.


Thanks in advance. This group is really cool.

 

I like the introduction, it's really good. I'm not American, but is there anything in the US that actually costs less than 5 cents? That would be another good point. And someone may sell something for $1.65, but selling things at prices like $1.67 is incredibly inconvenient. (Unless it's sold by weight, but I mean, let's just not mention that...) There really is no point using a system neatly divided into fives if you are going to add in a coin worth 1 cent, making for all kind of awkwardness.

 

Thanks for your feedback. This rough draft got a 7/10 (1 point over "adequate"), which he said isn't a 70% (C-) because he uses the 1-10 just as a rating scale. Hopefully after I make changes and include new arguments like yours, It'll be bumped up to an 8 or even a 9 (Superb response).

Thanks again!