by Nomad
At ninety years old, Phyllis Schlafly is still actively spreading her own gospel, persuading a younger generation of women that being second-class citizens is just Nature's way.
It has been said that half of the work done in this world is to make things appear as they are not.
One of those who has spent her decades in this pursuit is Ms. Phyllis Schlafly. Here's a woman who has spend a good part of her life trying to convince people that equality for women is a dangerous thing. All in all, her mission. much to the dismay of feminists and progressives, has been surprisingly successful.
To some, Schlafly is an annoying fossil from the apex of the Reagan era that should have been forgotten a long time ago.
Schlafly and the ERA
Although she might these days be just another crackpot on the Far Right, Schlafly will always be famous (infamous) for the part she played in defeating the proposed amendment to the Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) aimed at specifically protecting the rights of all women.
The 1868 14th amendment, which gave equal protection to all citizens, should have offered enough civil protections, but women were not always thought of a specific class or a minority in need of protection.
However, this attitude began changing in America around the 1920s. Since that time, specific legislation had been debated whether women by virtue of their gender, needed specific protections.
That debate lasted a full half century.
When the 1964 Civil Act became law protecting the civil rights of minorities, progressives and feminists demanded a new look at equality for women as well. When the ERA passed both houses, it looked as though it was a sure thing.
