Friday, December 02, 2005
Equal Rights Amendment… why?
Equal Rights Amendment… why?
The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, says that the "Equality of right under the law shall not be denied or abridged by United States or any state on account of sex." Almost 40% of all women oppose the ERA. The very people the amendment was made for oppose it. Most think it’s redundant.
Most will say that women have the 14th Amendment and they don’t need anything else. I happen to be part of that 40% of women. The 14th Amendment says that a citizen of the United States is any one who is born here and that no citizen can be denied due process. There is also the Pay Equity Act of 1964, which means that the criteria employers use to set wages must be sex- and race-neutral. Women were making 50 cents to the dollar. Now we make 79 cents to the dollar. Granted it’s not a great leap, but it just proves we don’t need the ERA to make it happen. I believe that women make less money because they choose to make less. They choose to have kids. They are not forced to have kids. Therefore they make less money when they take leave or when they limit hours. Employers back then and even now are fast pace places and can’t afford to hire people who can’t put for the time to get it done.
Every time the Federal Government hands down a new law we lose a little bit more freedom. I would rather we stick with the laws that make sure we have running water and that people don’t steal from us. I don’t want government to say I’m any different from everyone else. That’s why I think the ERA is a redundant law.
It’s humiliating to have a new amendment we vote on declaring I’m equal under the law. Its mortifying to find out that I wasn’t before! Women are not a special subset that needs to be protected. The 14th Amendment covers women and men just the same.
I want a Government who treats me the same no matter what. To know that its possible I never was is sickening. My government should be more concerned with protecting my rights to protect my country, to protect my house, my car, and my life. I don’t need a law saying I’m equal to know that I am.
The Equal Rights Amendment, or ERA, says that the "Equality of right under the law shall not be denied or abridged by United States or any state on account of sex." Almost 40% of all women oppose the ERA. The very people the amendment was made for oppose it. Most think it’s redundant.
Most will say that women have the 14th Amendment and they don’t need anything else. I happen to be part of that 40% of women. The 14th Amendment says that a citizen of the United States is any one who is born here and that no citizen can be denied due process. There is also the Pay Equity Act of 1964, which means that the criteria employers use to set wages must be sex- and race-neutral. Women were making 50 cents to the dollar. Now we make 79 cents to the dollar. Granted it’s not a great leap, but it just proves we don’t need the ERA to make it happen. I believe that women make less money because they choose to make less. They choose to have kids. They are not forced to have kids. Therefore they make less money when they take leave or when they limit hours. Employers back then and even now are fast pace places and can’t afford to hire people who can’t put for the time to get it done.
Every time the Federal Government hands down a new law we lose a little bit more freedom. I would rather we stick with the laws that make sure we have running water and that people don’t steal from us. I don’t want government to say I’m any different from everyone else. That’s why I think the ERA is a redundant law.
It’s humiliating to have a new amendment we vote on declaring I’m equal under the law. Its mortifying to find out that I wasn’t before! Women are not a special subset that needs to be protected. The 14th Amendment covers women and men just the same.
I want a Government who treats me the same no matter what. To know that its possible I never was is sickening. My government should be more concerned with protecting my rights to protect my country, to protect my house, my car, and my life. I don’t need a law saying I’m equal to know that I am.
