Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia proves the ERA is needed
Many people were shocked by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s recently released statements about the U.S. Constitution not protecting women. More specifically, he said that the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, according to a newly published interview in the legal magazine California Lawyer. This has been a hot topic in the news and on social networking sites. The most common response labels the justice as a sexist but it is not that simple.
His interpretation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment is hardly a new one. It is the reason that activists and lawmakers have been fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment – because women are not a part of the Constitution. The E.R.A. is rather simple. Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Why does this matter now? Because the E.R.A. could still be ratified, based on a new legal strategy that needs three more states to ratify. My home state of Florida has chance to ratify the amendment will come up again this Spring. Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Broward), said in a press release: “I am proud to be a part of this historical, yet timely effort in Florida to ratify the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” Florida Senator Nan Rich (D-Broward, Miami-Dade) is the new Senate Sponsor of the E.R.A. bill.
Do you live in an unratified state? If so, contract your lawmaker! It is an issue that several women’s page editors believed in.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia proves the ERA is needed
Many people were shocked by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s recently released statements about the U.S. Constitution not protecting women. More specifically, he said that the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does not protect against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, according to a newly published interview in the legal magazine California Lawyer. This has been a hot topic in the news and on social networking sites. The most common response labels the justice as a sexist but it is not that simple.
His interpretation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment is hardly a new one. It is the reason that activists and lawmakers have been fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment – because women are not a part of the Constitution. The E.R.A. is rather simple. Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article. Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Why does this matter now? Because the E.R.A. could still be ratified, based on a new legal strategy that needs three more states to ratify. My home state of Florida has chance to ratify the amendment will come up again this Spring. Rep. Evan Jenne (D-Broward), said in a press release: “I am proud to be a part of this historical, yet timely effort in Florida to ratify the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.” Florida Senator Nan Rich (D-Broward, Miami-Dade) is the new Senate Sponsor of the E.R.A. bill.
Do you live in an unratified state? If so, contract your lawmaker! It is an issue that several women’s page editors believed in.
