ERA in Simple Terms

Miss Paul chatting with Mrs. Ford

I spent much of the day thinking about the Equal Rights Amendment and the genius of Miss Alice Paul.  Today the ERA would solve so many problems for every person who lives under the U.S. Constitution. 

Miss Paul knew more about the unfolding of the ERA than anyone understood over the years.  In fact, one of the people I interviewed told me that Miss Paul knew immediately that the added line about the deadline was a death knell.  Imagine, she knew it would fail before it even made it out of Congress.  She watched thousands of women and men work to get it passed, knowing full well that the only thing that mattered was that final state.  All opponents had to do was hold the barricade at the deadline and the supermajority.  (June 30, 1982 + 38^th state)  

It is easy to see that Miss Paul had an unparalleled tenacity and strident resolve.  What so few understand about her, maybe confounded those who did see it, Miss Paul had a single epiphany – EQUALITY, nothing less.  Everything from that moment forward was merely a step, never a full stop.  I bothers me that people think she was happy with the vote, that there was some relief with the vote.  Maybe it is because people themselves would have been happy with the vote alone; like so many today who think that the Equality Movement is about marriage law. 

I am asked about the ERA often; about the various current campaigns, what can teachers do, what anyone can do, to finally ratify the ERA.  The question baffles me.  I suppose it means that people just don’t know the Congressional process.  All four of the ERA bills are sitting in 113^th Congressional Subcommittees.  No committee has held hearings, called it to a vote and sent it to the congressional floor. 

Here is the short list of what you, your organization or your class can do. 

1. Lobby the current subcommittees/committees to hold hearings and send it to the floor.
2. Ask every person running for the Senate or House where they stand on the ERA.  Democratic control of both chambers is optimal if not minimal. 
3. After January 3, 2015, when the 114^th sits, lobby them to introduce the ERA immediately.  Time is of the essence in this long ratification process.
4. Educate every American that the ERA did not pass.
5. Live as if it did.

for more information, see http://www.eraonceandforall.com