Many of us have secret obsessions. One of mine is with ten dollar bills. For years, dating back to when I read Ron Chernow's outstanding biography of Alexander Hamilton, I've been a tens hoarder.
Maybe I somehow intuited that Hamilton's handsome face was at risk there in my wallet, and now Treasury Secretary Jack Lew has proved me right. Lew reasonably wants to have a woman somewhere on the currency, but has made the unreasonable choice to replace Hamilton.
This cannot stand. We cannot as a nation afford to dishonor the memory of our most complex and compelling founder, and here is why:
Alexander Hamilton, alone among the founders, represents a true rags to riches success story. The immigrant child of a single mom, Hamilton rose by dint of brilliance, courage and constant work to unprecedented success as a soldier, intellectual, and builder of American institutions.
Alexander Hamilton, unlike most of the other major founders, was a war hero. General Washington took notice of the boyish-looking but exceptionally energetic and courageous young artillery officer during the early, perilous months of the war, and quickly promoted him to a position of de facto chief of staff.