The ERA Is Now

Phyllis Schlafly must have her corset bunched at Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Senator Robert Menendez’s (D-NJ) reintroduction of the Equal Rights Amendment in Congress. However there is not any valid protest that she can raise to the legislation in its current embodiment.

Let’s go through the list of some objections to the ERA in 1975:

●Then: There will be unisex bathrooms.

Now: There are gender neutral baby diaper changing stations and accommodations for the handicapped. It is nice to know that men can change diapers too. It is more important that handicapped people can go places and have full lives like the non-handicapped.

●Then: Women will have to serve in combat.

Now: Woman serve in the military, even in combat zones.

●Then: Women will have to work outside the home.

Now: The unemployment rate for everyone is high because of hedge fund implosions and carpet bagging mortgage lenders.

●Then: Women will lose their husband’s Social Security and pension benefits.

Now: Husbands don’t have Social Security and pension benefits because of the shysters on Wall Street who cheated the middle class and poor out of their hard earned wages.

●Then: Same-sex marriage.

Now: This will happen in my lifetime. I just hope it happens in Schlafly’s


Technorati Tags: equal rights amendment, phyllis schlafly

A Little History For The Uninformed

The Family Research Council, a conservative Christian advocacy group, has its ideological knickers in a wad over the fact that NBC cut short the Pledge of Allegiance during final round coverage of the U.S. Open Golf Championship. The television station inadvertently omitted the phrase, "One Nation Under God". NBC apologized for the unintentional cut. The Family Research Council, in huffy response, is demanding that NBC air the Pledge in its entirety every day as a public service announcement and that the station create a patriotic special about the Pledge.

The Family Research Council, through its lack of historical perspective, may not want a special program about the Pledge aired. The phrase, "One Nation Under God" was not added until 1942 in response to the Cold War and to, naively, distinguish pious Americans from god-abandoning communists. However, the Pledge of Allegiance was written by, wait for it; a liberal Christian Socialist named Francis Julius Bellamy. This Baptist minister believed in the right of workers to unionize, the equal distribution of wealth, and a government that provided care for its citizens. He also believed in equality for women and African-Americans. This world view informed Bellamy's Pledge,

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."

Francis Bellamy wanted to add the word "equality" for his views on women and race but decided that would have been too controversial at the time.

I would like to see a documentary on the Pledge of Allegiance. The program would put the Family Research Council and other conservatives into deep shame about their ignorance and hubris.

Technorati Tags: family research council, nbc, pledge of allegiance