Hello 13

Dear Readers, 
 
I hope you are finding home appealing and purposeful. I’m actually enjoying this time of my own. Check in with me in a few weeks!
 
The Boston Sunday Globe got my attention this weekend with Jeff Jacoby’s opinion piece “The Equal Rights Amendment is Dead!” I love it when men pontificate on equal rights, women’s reproductive rights and other issues for which they have little or no personal experience. 
 
Here’s my Letter to the Editor:

Regarding the Boston Sunday Globe opinion piece by Jeff Jacoby, "The Equal Rights Amendment is dead," we have one man with the help of two women deciding for all of us that the equal rights amendment has “died."
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What are his reasons?​
      1) Process—the “deadline has passed."
      The House of Representatives already voted to eliminate the deadline for the ERA on February 13, 2020. The Supreme Court ruled  that the  Congress governs disputes over ratification of amendments. 

Jacoby suggests that proponents refuse to see the obvious. The “obvious” is that 94% of the American people believe the amendment is necessary for true equality. Last I checked, Democracies continue to be governed by the people.

     2) No longer necessary?—Jennifer Braceras, a legal scholar, told Jacoby, “American women and men are truly equal under the      
     constiution..."
   
     Tell that to pregnant women who are being fired from their jobs because of pregnancy because the 2015 Supreme Court ruled it’s ok if the  employer has a “sufficiently strong” reason.

The Equal Rights Amendment will give us one foundation for the long trip to equality. Let’s not be duped into believing it is buried and not necessary.

Some additional info for you:
 
Women's inequality is partially an economic issue. According to a MetLife poll in 2019, of the 43% of Americans who live paycheck-to-paycheck, 85% are women.  There are many reasons for this disparity. One of the significant issues is the pay rate for a woman's first job.
 
June 17, 2016, PRNewswire-USNewswire conducted a poll finding near-universal support for amending the United States Constitution with a proposed amendment that would expressly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. The amendment was supported by:
        90% of men and 96% of women 
        97% of Democrats, 90% of Republicans, and 92% of Independents.
 
Women Who Inspired Our Lives
 
If you haven’t had a chance to email me about the women who inspired your life, please send it to ekilcoyne7@gmail.com.  Thanks to all who have sent your inspirational women already. 
 
Stay connected. Please leave a comment so I know you're out there, 
Elizabeth
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