Wednesday, presidential candidates gathered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California for a debate.  The thirteen contenders for president faced off, sparring over immigration, border security and Iran.  There were very few moments that Donald Trump did not dominate as the subject of one jab or another.  Marijuana legalization and enforcement of federal marjiuana laws were discussed to keep libertarians happy, along with the current hot-button issues like Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis and the Center for Medical Progress’s Planned Parenthood sting videos.

The best line of the debate came near the end when candidates were asked to choose who they would like to see on the ten dollar bill when Alexander Hamilton is replaced.  While Carly Fiorina said the gesture was useless and Governor John Kasich made the, admittedly illegal, suggestion that Mother Teresa received the honor, Senator Ted Cruz distinguished himself as knowledgeable of history by suggesting that instead of taking the nation’s first attorney general and Founder Alexander Hamilton off the ten dollar bill, the treasury department remove the U.S.’s seventh President Andrew Jackson from the twenty dollar bill.

“Well, I wouldn’t change the ten dollar bill. I would change the twenty, but I’d leave Alexander Hamilton right where he is.  And I would agree with Marco that it should be Rosa Parks.  She was a principled pioneer that helped change this country, helped remedy racial injustice and that would be an honor that would be entirely appropriate.”

– Senator Ted Cruz, (Video here)

For history buffs and people of Native American heritage like myself this is a commendable hit at the historic racism of the Democrat Party.  Andrew Jackson is the U.S. president responsible for forcing thousands of Native Americans to march from Georgia to Oklahoma.  Thousands of the Native Americans made the march, and thousands of them died along the way, leaving a bloody trail.  As pointed out by one of our readers, the racism carried by Jackson bled into his appointment of Supreme Court Justice Roger Brooke Taney.  Justice Taney went on to hand down the horrible Dred Scott decision which helped lead our nation into its bloodiest conflicts that lasted five years.

Cruz’ decision in taking a knock at Jackson was in good taste– thinking beyond the answer demanded by the media was a nice twist to a typical debate.

Additionally, I would add that if I were to suggest a woman to be placed on our currency, I would take another historic step and give Harriett Tubman that place of honor.  Tubman is the Underground Railroad heroine who laid the foundation for Rosa Parks by helping to slaves escape to Canada and freedom.