Equal Rights Amendment: A War on Women
 
Equal Rights Amendment: A War on Women
Written By Laurie Higgins   |   05.29.14
Reading Time: 4 minutes

The hubris and dishonesty of “progressives” continue to astound. They proclaim through their sycophantic mouthpieces in the mainstream press that conservatives are waging war on women when in reality, it is “progressives” who pursue policies that hurt women and their children.

Their newest assault on women is the resurrection of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) that has nothing to do with helping women and everything to do with the unencumbered “right” to kill babies while in utero—including girl babies.

Oh, and let’s not forget who else loves the ERA: those who pretend they are members of the opposite sex and want the entire country to play along.

The ERA never once mentions women and is wholly unnecessary to protect women’s treatment in the work place, which is protected by the Equal Pay Act.

The pernicious goals at the center of the push for the ERA include the following:

1. to win government subsidization of abortion
2. to eliminate all state restrictions on abortions
3. to eliminate recognition of the real differences between men and women in all laws and policies

So, for example, the ERA could jeopardize the tax-exempt status of churches that do not permit women to serve as pastors or priests, and it could be used to compel places of public accommodation to allow men who wish they were women to use women’s facilities.

When you next hear the odious phrase “Republican war on women” uttered ominously by melodramatic talking heads on MSNBC or CNN, remember these facts from the American cultural landscape and ask yourself, who’s really at war with women?:

  • Liberals have given us abortion on demand, including morally incomprehensible partial-birth abortion. Abortion has destroyed the lives of almost 57 million pre-born babies since liberals discovered a previously unheard of right in the U.S. Constitution to murder the unborn. Over 28 million of those dead babies are female. Abortion has also resulted in crushing grief and guilt among women who later realize the enormity of their acts. And increasing numbers of studies are confirming the abortion-breast cancer link.
  • Liberals have given us no-fault, unilateral divorce which has been responsible for an increase in divorce rates, decrease in marriage rates, the impoverishment of women and children, and untold suffering of children whose lives are marred by instability and loss.
  • Efforts to legalize prostitution are pushed by liberals.
  • Liberals rule Hollywood where an industry that exploits women both in front of and behind the camera makes the stories that shape American culture.
  • Liberals seek to lower the age of consent, often with jaw-dropping reasons. A “bioethicist” writing on Huffington Post judgmentally condemns what he calls the conservative “full-blown war on teenage sexuality”:

If a 16-year-old can enjoy sex responsibly…and he or she wishes to add sexual pleasure to the rich tapestry of adolescent life, why shouldn’t we encourage that individual to do so?…The purpose of “age of consent” statues is presumably to prevent the exploitation of children who are not yet mature enough to make wise decisions or who do not understand the implications and consequences of sex. (Of course, one could apply that same reasoning to many other potentially-corrupting activities—attending church or synagogue, for example. Yet nobody argues we should shield children from religion until they reach 18 and are thus old enough to understand the implications and consequences of religious practice.)…Teenagers are smart. They understand that sex can be pleasurable and that it can enhance the intimacy of their relationships….That is not to say that some teenagers won’t choose to remain celibate. I cannot imagine why they would, by [sic] I respect their right to do so. However, those 16- and 17-year-olds who want to indulge in one of life’s great pleasures should not have to worry about the long arm of the law coming after them or their partners. [emphasis added]

  • Liberals fight for the “right” to access Internet pornography at public libraries.
  • Liberals expose public school students to novels that include graphic depictions of sexuality, including perverse sexuality.
  • Liberals seek to expose children as young as pre-school to positive images of homosexuality.
  • Liberals fight to prohibit parents from having the right to opt their children out of activities that involve positive presentations of homosexuality.
  • Forbes Magazine reports that “80 percent of the time, mothers choose their children’s doctors, in addition to their own.” ObamaCare will lead to the loss of existing health coverage, forcing families into plans with fewer physician choices. Women will lose the doctors they have chosen for themselves and their children.
  • Forbes further reports that “Obamacare actively accelerates the implosion of Medicare, a program in which more than half of all beneficiaries are women; among the oldest old (ages 85 and older), 70 percent are women.”

These are just a few of the ways in which “progressives” wage war on all women, from the very youngest to the very oldest.

Make no mistake, the ERA like so many other “progressive” cultural endeavors will do nothing but harm women and their offspring—that is if their offspring can survive the womb. Finding sanctuary from the vast liberal battlefields bloodied by the torn bodies of babies and exploited bodies of women is increasingly difficult.

Finally, if liberals claim that the ERA ratification deadline is not legally binding, then those five states that sought to rescind their ratification of the ERA should be allowed to continue to pursue their rescission efforts. The only reason their requests to rescind their approval of the ERA ceased was that the U.S. Supreme Court held that it was moot once the deadline passed. If liberals now claim that the deadline for them is moot, then it’s moot for conservatives as well.

Take ACTION: Please CLICK HERE to contact your state senator and state representative to ask them to vote AGAINST the ERA, SJRCA 4. It’s essential for us to let our lawmakers know that this amendment harms women, their families, and our society, because many still believe the lie that it’s all about equal rights. Your calls and emails are vital tools for fighting this destructive proposal.

You can also call your state representative to ask him/her to vote NO to SJRCA 4 by calling the Capitol switchboard number at: (217) 782-2000. CLICK HERE to access their name and contact information. Your state rep and senator will appear as the last two names listed.


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Laurie Higgins
Laurie Higgins was the Illinois Family Institute’s Cultural Affairs Writer in the fall of 2008 through early 2023. Prior to working for the IFI, Laurie worked full-time for eight years...
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