In 2018, the Herald published a letter of mine with reference to the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution. In the last paragraph, I mentioned that I thought all previous amendments had been ratified, except one: the Equal Rights Amendment.
In 1923, Alice Paul introduced the ERA, after the 19th amendment, affirming women the right to vote, was ratified. In 1972, the ERA was finally passed by Congress. However, 15 states did not ratify the amendment. They are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.
In light of the current legislation proposed by several states to limit a woman’s right to decide her reproductive rights, among other things, I would like to reintroduce this proposed amendment. So, to any progressive male and any woman who thinks maybe it is time, we look to our friends, relatives and neighbors who either live, work and/or retire in these states to see what can be done to re-introduce this amendment to the Constitution. The wording could be similar to that introduced by Alice Paul in 1920, and that could be, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State based on gender.”
V. Leigh Nielsen
Durango
