Why Not The Equal Rights Amendment For Women 40 Years After Its Origin?

The Republican Party has actively been promoting amendment after amendment to the Constitution in the past two years, and the thought has emerged that it is time to re-introduce the failed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, passed through Congress in 1972, reaching 35 states ratification by 1976, and then collapsing, with no more support, and failing of ratification by 1982, three states short of adoption.

Women have seen their fortunes change amazingly these past four decades, and are now the majority of the work force, attending universities at a higher percentage than men, and entering all of the professions in tremendous numbers, with them being the majority in more and more occupations.

Women have been “liberated” from the old controls that religion and conservative values put on them, and there are even many Republican women in the House of Representatives and a few in the US Senate.

So why not promote the adoption of the amendment which would put women into the Constitution directly, for only the second time, after the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote after a 72 year battle in 1920?

Even the arguments used by evangelist Jerry Falwell and conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, among others, no longer have any validity, as if they had justification at the time of the ERA!

These and other critics argued that passage of the ERA would:

1. Promote Lesbian marriage–which now exists in six states and Washington, DC.
2. Advocate Unisex public toilets–which now exist all over the nation in shopping malls and many hotels and other public restroom locations.
3. Allow the involvement in combat situations of women in the military–which now occurs on a regular basis.

With all of the great advancements of woman in the past two generations, this is the time to institutionalize what has happened by laws and by natural evolving over that time!

We should put Republicans on the line for a modern Equal Rights Amendment, make them stand up for human rights for women, at a time when Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin are potential future Presidents! They, the other women in the Republican party in Congress, and the men of the party, need to show that they believe in true EQUALITY for women and have no problem making it a permanent part of the US Constitution, that they claim they revere!

One comment on “Why Not The Equal Rights Amendment For Women 40 Years After Its Origin?

  1. YourConservativeStudent June 28, 2011 11:35 pm

    Dr. Feinman, hope you’re doing well!

    I just wanted to comment on one thing you said in your blog. You said “Women have seen their fortunes change…” but that statement doesn’t really encapsulate the struggle that women endured. In reality, we didn’t just “see” change occur. It was so much more than that! We worked, fought and raged against the system and society to affect change that we deserved!

    I sit and type this as a beneficiary of all of that effort and consider myself so lucky that we were able to do all we did…even without a constitutional amendment.

    On a side note, did you know Phyllis Schlafly had a new book? It’s called “The Flipside of Feminism…” Don’t think it’ll be making Oprah’s book club…

    Have a great week!

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