Congress should remove deadline for ratification of ERA
Eighty percent of Americans think the Constitution guarantees equality to women. But as Phil Kadner explained in his recent column, they are wrong. Kadner was right again to point out that the ERA isn’t a partisan issue.
In May, Illinois became the 37th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. I’m so proud of Illinois for taking this stance and to the legislators who continue to stand up for equality. I’m also proud of our Sen. Dick Durbin for asking nominee Brett Kavanaugh about the ERA.
Despite statewide popularity of the Equal Rights Amendment, eight of the 20 members of the Illinois congressional delegation have not yet sponsored HJRes 53, a resolution that clears the path for federal ratification. The ERA wasn’t partisan in Illinois, and it isn’t nationally, either. In fact, just like Mr. Kadner, 90 percent of American men, regardless of party, support a constitutional guarantee of equal rights for both men and women according to a 2016 poll. That figure rises to 96 percent if you ask women.
Ask your representatives where they stand. Let’s even the playing field and ratify the ERA.
Wait for the evidence
As the trial of Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke proceeds through its second week, Mark Brown’s comments in his column of Sept. 18 resonate: “The jurors who began hearing testimony in the trial . . . are dutybound to wait for all the evidence before making up their minds. Is it asking too much for the rest of us to do the same?”
Justices don’t reflect views of America
In the 2016 election, Democrats received over 11 million more votes than Republicans. This did not prevent Republicans from nominating extreme right-wing judges such as Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. These two will change the direction of the Supreme Court for decades.
Workers rights, health care, women’s reproductive rights, campaign finance and voting rights will be affected by their decisions. It is the duty of the president to appoint a justice who more accurately reflects the views of America. Maybe Merrick Garland is willing or available.