Cheating a Blog Post by Posting an Essay That is Not From College Engish... I just had fun writing it and wanted some feedback :)

When thinking about what phenomenal woman leader I would write about for one of the previous essays, I stumbled upon what I believe is an important issue facing women today. To find my muse I thought back to the American “heroes” and historical figures my teachers introduced me to in elementary school. The first names that came to mind were Betsy Ross and Dolley Madison. It occurred to me that neither of these women did anything outstanding or phenomenal! This discovery led to my conclusion that the most important issue facing women today is that we are raised in a society that focuses, from an early age, on the women that do trivial and domestic acts in history. Other women, that have created actual change, are left to be undermined in High School where the damage is already done and a majority of the audience is using their American Studies class as an hour to catch up on sleep.
I specifically remember being read a picture book about Betsy Ross in second grade. There in the pages she sat sewing away on a little wooden stool, crafting the first American flag by the light of a single candle. What a wonderful role model for young girls! They can all aspire to a future of pricked fingers and strained eyesight just like their great American hero Betsy! Through Betsy Ross our society continues to support the degrading, old fashioned opinion that women belong at home performing small tasks for men rather than out in the real world. Yet for some reason, we continue to highlight her as an important female role in American history.
Now, for dear Dolley Madison: goodness gracious, where would we be without good Ol’ Dolley? Back in 1814 when the British were advancing on Washington, Dolley managed to flee from harm, making sure to grab the great portrait of George Washington on her way out. On top of that she managed to save all of her favorite silver and china! Can you imagine an America without the famous painting of Washington to guide us? And certainly our country would not be the same today had Dolley not been able to use her best teacups at her extravagant parties! Dolley is a great example of how society chooses to showcase only women who have had insignificant roles in history. Instead of teaching our children about one of the many influential first ladies or political figures in history, we choose to glorify Dolley for saving a painting.
America needs to stop wasting time teaching about woman who have had little influence on our nation and focus on those that have created real change. In my second grade class we should have focused more on Susan B. Anthony and less on Betsy Ross. By the time I began studying women’s rights in school I was in the eleventh grade! To my great dismay I found most of my peers had their heads on their desks or glazed over eyes. Instead of recognizing great American women such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Alice Paul, and Clara Barton many of my classmates and other Americans will think first of the seamstress and painting-saver that they are more familiar with. The many accomplishments of American women over the course of our history will continue to be overshadowed by the women written about in elementary picture books. Its time we focused our attention - in both early education and in American in general - on significant women leaders that have helped give American women a voice and have helped shape our country into what it is today.