Equal Rights Amendment: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)/LastWeekTonight/2019
This video is about the Equal Rights Amendment which is an amendment that ensures equal legal rights for American citizens regarding sex. The amendments original ratification deadline was March 22, 1979 and to this date is still not ratified. Within a year, 30 states had ratified it. Over the last 30 years, seven states have ratified the ERA. In 1923, Alice Paul created ERA. It is a twenty four word proposition that Oliver says 80% of us think it is already in the constitution. In 1972 84 senators voted for it however, the few who objected believed it would destroy male and female relationships. After passing the house and the senate, the only thing left was 38 states to ratify the amendment. This is where we have been stuck. 37 states have ratified it which means only one state is needed to ratify it for it to move forward. When the ERA was first brought up, people saw it as a move towards justice. Phyllis Schlafly founded the stop ERA movement which spread fear around the ERA. She spread untrue facts about the ERA in attempt to get people to oppose the ERA. The ERA only provides equality under the law and no other policy.
June 4, 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment which ensured women's right to vote. Only 100 years ago were women allowed to vote and we are still not equal under the constitution as of 2020. This is important to remember because while 100 years seems like a long time, it is not a long time compared to how long the constitution has been around. The constitution was ratified in 1788, 232 years ago meaning it took 131 years to allow women to vote under the constitution. People think that equal rights is already under the constitution because it seems like such a no brainer, but we are 232 years from the constitution being ratified and 41 years since the original ERA ratification deadline and women are still not equal under the constitution. What is the push back though? Why are people so against equal rights? It is not something that will hurt or affect anybody but those who are being treated unequally. Bringing attention to these facts will make people aware of the ongoing issue of discrimination against women. This is so important because women can and do work just as hard if not harder than men everyday and deserve to get the same recognition.
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