The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1923. It simply gave men and women equal rights. It wasn’t until 1946 that it finally went before Congress, and it failed to pass. There were 11 women in Congress that year - 2.1%. The Senate finally approved it in 1972, and submitted to the state legislatures for ratification within seven years, but despite a deadline extension to June 1982, was not ratified by the requisite majority of 38 states.
The Article is a simple one:
“Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
"Sec. 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
"Sec. 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification."
In the seventies and eighties conservative religious and political groups fought loudly against it. Women were made to believe it might harm them. They feared that they would lose protections they enjoyed, such as exemption from military duty. They also feared that they might lose economic support from husbands.
I never understood what it was/is that conservative men feared/fear. This week the state of Virginia became the 38th State to vote for ratification. Imagine...it took 97 years to get 38 out of 50 states to agree that women should be treated equally...but they did...finally. Now imagine this...there are still people trying to stop the ERA from being added to our constitution. Since it is well past the original seven year time frame and its extension, several conservative state officials and a conservative congress promise to block it.
I see the possible complications in an amendment that offers equality in this manner. There will be challenges galore, as there have been to each amendment, and our system will handle those challenges as they always have done. If we block everything that has the possibility of challenge then we will stifle all growth. Are women so very frightening to these men that the thought of facing them on an even playing field becomes impossible? Come on guys...you can do it. You don’t need to tie one arm behind our back to maintain an equal footing. Or do you?
I spent the week reading House on Fire by Joseph Finder and, as always, he didn’t disappoint. Finder is one of his genre’s best story tellers, and this book just helped prove that again.
As always a complete review of this book follows my blog.