The pursuit of passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has floundered for years after having been passed by House and Senate but never ratified and having subsequently expired. Since it's original introduction in 1923, the ERA has received shifting support from an interesting mix of republicans and some democrats and opposition from labor and individuals such as Eleanor Roosevelt. That landscape has changed quite a bit since the 1970's. It is regularly re-introduced, as recently as this year as S. J. RES. 10.
While many of us have our own special interests in cultural change and the legislation that supports such change (my own is environmental protection), an amendment to the Constitution in support of equal rights for all is disturbingly past due. If there are special protections that are deemed necessary for certain individuals that some fear an ERA would threaten, then address these issues seperately but we should proceed without further delay to push renewed passage and ratification of an ERA.
This effort should be a collaborative effort that transcends ideology and spiteful political maneuvering (as frankly environmental protection should be as well) and should form the foundation and basis of a new political reality based on the significant threats that humanity faces in this modern world.
