Rousing could not apply to today's speech.
I was nonplussed by it. I'll allow the benefit of the doubt to say I would have been more moved by hearing it.
Though I haven't researched it, I think that many of the things in the ammendment have come to pass. I noted with interest that she calls for equality in no longer permitting schools to segregate by sex, when now there is a movement in the public schools to do just that.
I was surprised that after the horror of the draft in Vietnam, she would call to sign women up with the selective service.
Yes, I think equal pay for equal work is right - and I think that women still earn less then their male counterparts.
But listening to this speech I couldn't help, but think that we've just come through a primary campaign where a woman was one of leading figures, and one of the most powerful senators, or that we currently have a woman serving as speaker of the house. A woman Secretary of State, a woman Secretary of Education, women governors who are being considered for vice-president. All of which happened without the Equal Rights Ammendment.
Out of 100 speeches, you can't expect to like 'em all.
8.04.2008
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Ah --- the 70’s –it was a silly time. Reading today’s selection kind of made me chuckle and I didn’t expect it to.
I was thankful again that the founding fathers and architects of the experiment in government we call the United States were wise enough to make it hard to change the Constitution. Think back to your civics classes and remember that first both houses of Congress have to approve a bill by a two-thirds majority and then three- fourths of the individual states must each ratify the bill before it becomes an amendment. The time for ratification for the ERA was extended from an original 7 year period to a full 10 years.
NOW in their mission statement from the first national conference held in Washington in 1966 set the stage for this amendment. They joined local groups in tough campaigns waged in the states trying to get it accepted and believe it or not the passions this enflamed were similar to the furor over global warming today. Opponents of the amendment ranted away that this would change our world forever by giving women license to behave as badly as men. Proponents vowed they would remove the labels on bathroom doors and women wouldn’t have to wait in long lines for the loo. Women managed to behave badly without the benefit of the amendment and usually we’re still waiting longer for the facilities. Women are fully represented on campuses and in all the avenues of industry I can think of. Imagine the bureaucracy that would have been required to manage reporting requirements had this amendment passed.
I always told your Daddy that I didn’t have enough time in a day to do all that I was already liberated to do.
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