http://www.nationalreview.com/lopez/lopez200602080754.asp
Posted on 02/08/2006 2:45:53 PM PST by Paul Ross
February 08, 2006,
7:54 a.m.
Phyllis Schlafly Was Right
Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, February 8, 2006
The woman has earned a few “I Told You So”s.
Most of America's girls typically don't get to celebrate Phyllis Schlafly during "Women's History Month," but they should. Mrs. Schlafly not only had the right idea when she fought the Equal Rights Amendment during the 70s, but predictions she made back then are still accurate today.
Schlafly, of course, was head of the National Committee to Stop ERA. And stop it she did — the U.S. Constitution was not amended. She argued that a federal Equal Rights Amendment was not necessary, claiming that, "the fact is that women already enjoy every constitutional right that men enjoy and have enjoyed equal employment opportunity since 1964."
Even though Congress overwhelmingly approved the ERA in 1972 — passing the House 354-to-23 and the Senate 84-to-8 — and the amendment would subsequently be ratified by more than 30 states (but not by the 38 its supporters needed), Schlafly fought the nonsensical Equal Rights Amendment to its death in 1982.
While explaining why the big push for the federal Equal Rights Amendment ultimately failed, in her book Feminist Fantasies Schlafly reprinted some of her old objections: "ERA would put 'gay rights' into the U.S. Constitution because the word in the amendment is 'sex,' not 'women.' Eminent authorities have stated that ERA would legalize the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples and generally implement the gay and lesbian agenda."
And guess what? In the latest example of Schlafly's prescience, on Jan. 20, 2006, a Maryland court struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban based on the Old Line State's Equal Rights Amendment. As Jessica Echard, who works with Schlafly at Eagle Forum (the public-policy nonprofit Schlafly heads) points out, "The Maryland ERA language is very similar to the federal ERA, which refers to no discrimination based on 'sex' not 'women,' Using the term 'sex' demands same-sex marriage because banning it would be denying rights based on sex."
Agree or disagree with her politics, Phyllis Schlafly was right — the Hawaii supreme court was the first, in 1993, to rule that its state ERA mandated same-sex marriage.
At the time of the big ERA fight, of course, you might have thought she was nuts. "Hey, Phyllis, your sheet is showing," a Doonesbury cartoon "joked." Famously, during a debate at Illinois State University in 1973, the late feminist mother Betty Friedan angrily declared, "I consider you a traitor to your sex, an Aunt Tom." Friedan said that she wanted to burn Schlafly at the stake. For Schlafly, Friedan's fury came in handy. As Donald T. Critchlow recalls in Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism, Schlafly replied, "I'm glad you said that because it just shows the intemperate nature of proponents of the ERA."
The Schlafly-was-right point about the ERA and marriage is worth noting — not just for historical-accuracy reasons but because the Left keeps trying to revive the old loser. As late as last year, the ERA was reintroduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and in the Senate.
Sheila Cole, now a senior House staffer, wasn't alive yet when Schlafly was first taking on the ERA, but worked with Schlafly as executive director of Eagle Forum in the late 1990s. Cole remembers, "One of the things I learned from watching Phyllis is that you always have to think like a chess player when dealing with the radical feminists."
Nowadays, Eagle Forum is content that the Equal Rights Amendment is dead as a viable national movement, despite Ted Kennedy's hopes (the ERA is his bill in the Senate) for its revival. Now Schlafly & Co. are more specifically concerned with protecting marriage — in part from the damage done by state ERAs. Meanwhile, when Women's History Month comes around in March, how about a lesson starring a wise woman like Schlafly?
— (c) 2006, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
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http://www.nationalreview.com/lopez/lopez200602080754.asp
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Smart lady, wish there were more like her.
I haven't read this but I plan to. Looks like it might be worth a look. If the writer likes Phyllis Schlafly, I probably see eye to eye with her.
I grew up in the 70s and NEVER heard of this woman because of all the liberal teachers I had. It's simply staggering that this woman's accomplishments are not recognized, as opposed to Hillary, who has achieved little or nothing but is extolled as the "smartest woman in the world."
"Nowadays, Eagle Forum is content that the Equal Rights Amendment is dead as a viable national movement, despite Ted Kennedy's hopes (the ERA is his bill in the Senate_"
As you know, to a Liberal a woman is smart who knows how to "stand by her man."
Wait a minute...
Shalom.
The Kennedy's never did care and still does not care for women.
Abortion is nothing more than letting men get off the hook for irresponsible sex.
Women still suffer the effects, whether pregnancy to full term or aborting the child.
"Abortion is nothing more than letting men get off the hook for irresponsible sex.
Women still suffer the effects, whether pregnancy to full term or aborting the child."
The effects of women having irresponsible sex with irresponsible men?
good article.
God bless and keep her.
She made Reagan's Presidency possible.
If you listen to what she has to say weekly you get an excellent education overall.
Is it any wonder that Ann Coulter expounds her virtues?
IN A NUTSHELL:
People fought against the ERA because they said it could be used to legalize gay marriage. They are proven right because the wording of Marylands equal rights law is the same as the ERA's. Because of that wording, the MD Judge said homosexual marriage is legal in MD. The naysayers were wrong-Shaffley was right.
Women still suffer the effects, whether pregnancy to full term or aborting the child."
Precisely so!
Why do you suppose Playboy Magazine has been a big contributor to the feminists who push abortion?
Those women who think have realised that abortion is mens' liberation, not womens'.
Very true.
True but the Feminist always frame the abortion debate as "liberating" women from the burdens of unwanted pregancy.
Conservatives know it's just an convient excuse for irresponble adults to not take responsibility for their actions.
Wow! Can't believe you never heard of Phyllis Schlafy. Only God knows the contribution this lady made to keeping this nation from spiritual and cultural annihilation years ago. God bless Phyllis.
Amen to that!
My comments are misleading - I have heard of her in recent years, but never as a kid taught by angry liberal women in the 70s.
Abortion is the holy grail of feminists and liberals and the only remaining plank of the demoncrat party.
The liberals et al, are really coming unhinged. Wait until Roe comes back to the SCOTUS. They'll be having conniption fits. Have you ever seen one of those, it's not pretty. LOL.
"They'll be having conniption fits. Have you ever seen one of those, it's not pretty. LOL."
Every time I see a NOW or NARAL rally on tv.
Man , are those "womyn" fugly.
Phyllis and many other conservative women have been right about a lot of things. But none has worked harder than Phyllis Schlafley. Women and the conservative movement, owe her a lot.
she's the best!
Schlafly reprinted some of her old objections: "ERA would put 'gay rights' into the U.S. Constitution because the word in the amendment is 'sex,' not 'women.' Eminent authorities have stated that ERA would legalize the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples and generally implement the gay and lesbian agenda."
And guess what? In the latest example of Schlafly's prescience, on Jan. 20, 2006, a Maryland court struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban based on the Old Line State's Equal Rights Amendment....
Agree or disagree with her politics, Phyllis Schlafly was right — the Hawaii supreme court was the first, in 1993, to rule that its state ERA mandated same-sex marriage.
To think that TEXAS was one of the states that approved to ERA!
Hatellary only garners that designation with the vacuous brained fools now voting en masse for anyone with a "D" beside their name on a sample ballot. Since the IQ variant is so lacking in democrat voters (when they vote, mind you), it's not unusual to see that a propped up, empty pants suit is hailed as 'the smartest' ... how would a democrat know any better since they don't think when it comes to politi?
Always the downside of constitutions - the words can be made fit personal opinions.
That is ridiculous. No man has the legal authority to make an abortion happen, and it the children of men who are being killed. Abortion has two victims, all right: the baby and the father of the baby.
That is an incredibly sexist statement: no man is liberated by having his child aborted by his child's mother. He, along with the baby, pay the price for her Roe-endorsed whims.
Greatest woman of the 20th Century.
Maybe three candidates:
Maggie Thatcher
Eleanor Roosevelt
-->And the winner -- Phyllis Schafly.
Good point. And most likely one of the main reasons some men vote liberal...
This thread is where FR listened as Mrs. Schlafley disclosed her position on Miers:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1502472/posts
You are right!
There are circumstances where an abortion is obtained against the will of the father.
My observation has been of the irresponsible boyfriend, who, by the ordinance of abortion is "liberated" from having to be responsible for his sexual proclivities.
I should have been more precise in my comment.
Phyllis - don't think will get much out of HM during hearings
Phyllis - Partial birth ban will get to SCOTUS - "Will you recuse yourself on the PBA ban case?"
Phyllis - Entitled to know that know, and if she recuses, that oughta kill the nomination
Phyllis - GWB is not demontrably pro-life, and all of the women in his life are NOT
Phyllis - We are not a Bush party. We are a conservative movment
Phyllis - conservative movement needs to assert itself
Bump. When she was mentioned it wasn't flattering... usually with a series of disparagements...not the least of which was "supporter of Ronald Reagan's presidential candidacy"...whom the liberals deemed "totally irrelevant."
Phyllis Schlaffly, God bless her. One in a million.
My observation has been that it takes two to tangle, so to speak. Both 'liberate' themselves of responsibility for their actions if both consent. Otherwise, he has no say in it, the decision remains with her.
>>The effects of women having irresponsible sex with irresponsible men?
No, the effects of irresponsible women having irresponsible sex with irresponsible men.
If you give her a trophy, try to spell her name more accurately on it.
For all the people who say they admire her, I've noticed here that very few can spell the name! :)
We conservatives have to wake up to the fact that the GOP is loaded with atheists, liberals, and vermin of every stripe.
The country club Republicans have no more in common with
the conservative Republicans than with the liberal Democrats.
The next presidential election will surely be the most interesting
in decades.
For some reason this article made me think of the Winter Olympics ceremonies. They had six women carrying the Olympic flag, and the theme was "prominent women" from around the world. The US representative was Susan Sarandon, leftist Actress and Complainer. That was the best we could do??
I'll never forget seeing Schlafly on the Donahue show a few decades ago. She was the only conservative in the building and she had them all foaming at the mouth. I think they would have charged the stage and killed her if they had thought they could get away with it. She stood her ground with class, dignity and a smile. A real lady, and a strong one.
"No, the effects of irresponsible women having irresponsible sex with irresponsible men."
Ditto.
my mistake. Shouldn have just said "irresponsible women".
I FIRMLY believe that. Just look at Bill Clinton and The Kennedys.
read later
You have to be kidding me - Susan Sarandon carried the American flag this year in Italy?
Puke.
No, it was the Olympic flag, as my post says, carried by "prominent women." It made no sense to me. What did Susan Sarandon, Sophia Loren, and the rest of them have to do with athletics, Olympics, or Saving the World? Nothing.
Indeed. And a true patriot.
Agreed!
Say, are you by chance a fellow Minnesotan?
You didn't read anything outside of school? Your family didn't subscribe to newspapers or newsmagazines? She was all over the place in the '70s.
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