Why Equal Rights Amendement Failed

Excerpt from "Time to Scale Back the Pedestal" by Carey Roberts

Full article here

Some will recall that back in October 1971, the House of Representatives approved the Equal Rights Amendment, which passed by an overwhelming 354-24 margin. Everyone knew it was just a matter of months until the necessary 38 states came on board.

But four months later, Phyllis Schlafly penned her history-altering essay, “What’s Wrong with Equal Rights for Women?” Schlafly pointed out that American women are the most privileged of all classes of people that ever lived: “We have the most rights and rewards, and the fewest duties.”

Abundant rights and rewards, with fewer duties – that’s the pedestal.

Schlafly then posed the question, “Why should we lower ourselves to ‘equal rights’ when we already have the status of special privilege?” That one sentence spelled the demise of the ERA. In the end, it was wrath of millions of American women who, fearing the loss of that special privilege, brought down the Equal Rights Amendment.

After the ERA heaved its last breath in 1979, feminists bitterly accused Mrs. Schlafly of “hating” women. But in truth the bra-burners took their next cue from the conservative icon.

This was their ploy: Instead of striving for mere equality, why not seek to expand women’s special privileges – all the while claiming to be working for equality? And that proved to be the winning formula.