Who would you add to Mount Rushmore?

After visiting Mount Rushmore, the students were asked to journal on this topic:

If you could choose any American who has had a positive impact on our country to go in the empty space between Roosevelt and Lincoln, who would you choose and why?

Here are some of their responses.

If I were to choose a face to put on Mount Rushmore, I would have to first think about why the four faces were chosen. After visiting the monument, I figured it out. All of the faces up right now have changed our country in a dramatic way, either physically or mentally. So in that case, I chose Martin Luther King, Jr. He gave one of the most recognizable speeches in our history. If I were to choose a face to put on Mount Rushmore, I would choose MLK, Jr.
--Lydia

If I chose anyone else to be on Mount Rushmore, I would choose John F. Kennedy. Not only was JFK great in the political area of being a president, but also he was very smart economically. He helped us a lot through the Civil Rights Movement by supporting integration in everyday life. By supporting this, he fended off enemies who were all for segregation. Not long after JFK died, he really began being appreciated for his efforts. I think he should really be on Mount Rushmore with the rest.
--Kirsten

If I could put a face on Mt. Rushmore, it would be Wilbur Wright because he helped invent the first airplane.
--Clay

If I had to put someone on Mount Rushmore, I would put Martin Luther King, Jr. on it because I think he had a lot to do with American history.
--Doug

I think that George W. Bush should go on Mount Rushmore because he brought us through some hard times (9-11, the economy crashing).
--Hunter

Lyne Cox because she helped break the friction between the Soviets and the Americans during the Cold War. Also, she was the youngest swimmer to cross the English Channel, and she also broke the record. Also, she has swum to Antarctica in water that is thirty-two degrees. These are only two of the tons more she has done.
--Hannah

If I had to choose anyone else to be carved in Mount Rushmore, I would choose Martin Luther King, Jr. I chose him because he impacted everyone’s everyday life. He fueled the Civil Rights Movement and was an all-around inspiring human being. Without him, I don’t believe people would be in the same mindset about segregation. He is such an important piece in America’s history and needs to be remembered in this way. When I learned about him in school, I always thought about how greatly I looked up to him. Rosa Parks, Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Lloyd Garrsion and so on are all people who worked for blacks’ civil rights. However, the person who impacted the entire nation the most about Civil Rights in general is probably Martin Luther King, Jr.
--Cheyenne