Why The Anti Equal Rights Amendment - 3997 Words

Introduction This essay will explore the reasons why the anti-Equal Rights Amendment of the 1970s was successful in keeping the proposed amendment from being added to the Constitution. It starts with a discussion of the process in congress and what it took for the amendment to even reach the states for a vote, and the exact literature of the amendment. It continues by analyzing what caused the movement for the ERA, successes of the feminist movement in the 1970s and leaders in the pro ERA movement. The rest of the essay will discuss the Stop ERA campaign, its arguments against the amendment and how it succeeded in garnering enough support to prevent passage of the amendment. This subject is particularly important to discuss because our society continues to be riddled with gender inequality and sexual discrimination. Though legislative change does not guarantee societal change, it is certainly a necessary step, and the lack of an Equal Rights Amendment has put the issue of sexism in the United St ates on the backburner. It is necessary to examine the origins of the failure of the Equal Rights Amendment in order to fully understand what is holding the United States back as a country and what can be done to move forward and make meaningful changes in how we perceive gender and sexuality. Passing an Amendment In order to pass an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, it must first be proposed by either Congress with a two-thirds majority vote inShow MoreRelatedThe Amendment And The Rights Amendment1341 Words   |  6 PagesPossibly the most conversational amendment to every make it’s way through the Senate and the House was the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972. The Equal Rights Amendment was, â€Å"introduced through the twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties without success† (Schneir, 369). Various organizations such as the National Woman’s Party (those who proposed it), National Organization for Women, the Women’s Department of the United Auto Workers, and many other feminists worked most if not all of theirRead MoreAn American Ideal Of Equality Is Not An America At All.1501 Words   |  7 Pagesequality is; Equal rights among all people. Equality is also defined as the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in qu antity, degree, value, rank, or ability. A historical example that demonstrates the American ideal of equality is the court case Plessy Vs. Ferguson (1896). Plessy was arrested for riding in a white-only seat for being an African-American citizen riding in the seat. Plessy was sent to court shortly after his arrest. During court, Plessy used the 13th Amendment. The 13th AmendmentRead MoreLoving V. Virginia, Introduction, Facts, Legal Background1567 Words   |  7 PagesLoving v. Virginia Interracial marriage: Respecting the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. I. INTRODUCTION This case note will examine the 1967 landmark Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia. The Loving v. Virginia case touched on constitutional principles including equality, federalism, and liberty. Just over 30 years ago, it was a crime for interracial couples in Virginia to marry, or to live as husband and wife. Prior to the 1967 case of Loving v. VirginiaRead MoreI Had A Dream Speech By Martin Luther King Jr.1684 Words   |  7 Pagesprotest what we think was accustomed to us by the first amendment in the United States constitution’s bill of rights. Why the Bill of Rights were made When the thirteen colonies were being ruled by Britain, King George III had taxed the colonists unfairly and had created his own laws, that benefitted him. His harsh rule had stripped the colonists from their basic rights and to escape from this tyranny, the colonists declaredRead MoreCompromise Between Federalist And Anti Federalist Essay885 Words   |  4 PagesCompromise between Federalist and Anti-Federalist My thesis is that the plan was to amend the articles of confederation, but there was too much wrong with it, because it gave too much federal power. The Federalist wanted a strong central government, and the Anti-federalist wanted more power in the states. The articles of confederation are the original constitution of the US, ratified in 1781, which was replaced by the US Constitution in 1789(p.48-49). The Federalist are the supporters of the ratificationRead MoreEssay about Womens Suffrage1075 Words   |  5 PagesThese conservative thinkers caused a great road-block on the way to enfranchisement. Most of them were men, who were set in their thoughts about women’s roles, who couldn’t understand why a woman would deserve to vote, let alone want to vote. But there were also many women who were not concerned with their fundamental right to vote. Because some women were indifferent in regards to suffrage, they set back those who were working towards the greater good of the nation. However, the suffragettes were ableRead MoreExploring Their Rights And Encountering Change : Women Of The 1920s1344 Words   |  6 PagesExploring Their Rights and Encountering Change: Women of the 1920s Today, women have the same rights as men, but it wasn’t always that way. Women had very little rights in the 1920s. In this paper, we will look into the struggles of women, how their jobs changed from when they gained their rights, and finally we will go over some famous activists. The campaign for women’s suffrage began in the earnest in the decades before the Civil War. During the 19th century, as male suffrage was slowly extendedRead MoreThe Issue Of The Second Amendment1035 Words   |  5 PagesYou Can Have My Gun When You Pry It from My Cold Dead Hands Those that oppose upholding the Second Amendment should consider the following scenario: It is the middle of the night, an armed intruder breaks into a home in a well-lit residential neighborhood; the intruder knows the home owners are home, and despite this knowledge, illegally enters the home. The father, awakened by the noise, listens for a second and realizes that someone has broken into his home. Concerned for the safety of his familyRead MoreThe Women s Suffrage Movement Essay1153 Words   |  5 Pagessuffrage, or right to vote. The women’s suffrage movement started in the decades before the Civil War, and eventually accomplished its goal in the year of 1920 when the 19th Amendment was ratified into the U.S. Constitution. After the U.S. Civil War, the women’s suffrage movement gained popularity and challenged traditional values and sexism in the country; the increase of progressive social values benefited the women suffragists by allowing them to succeed in passi ng the 19th Amendment which changedRead MoreThe Impact Of Alice Stone Blackwells Response To The Progressive Movement818 Words   |  4 Pages new ideas were formed, challenging tradition. Of these, the early women’s civil rights movements of the late 1890’s to late 1910’s stood as one of the most prominent. In 1917, towards the end of the era and right before President Wilson ratified the 19th Amendment, feminist and journalist Alice Stone Blackwell responded to possible outcomes if women were allowed the right to vote. Blackwell’s response towards anti-suffrage ideals is significant to the Progressive Era due to her deconstruction of