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Resource

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2015 – Eliminating Congress’ Deadline for Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment

01 Jul 2015
Emily
Resolutions

Also see Equal Rights Amendment Background to the Two Strategies.

Submitted by the Washington Ethical Society and Passed at the 100th AEU Assembly

Whereas, during the June 1971 63rd Annual Assembly, the American Ethical Union supported passage of the Equal Rights Amendment;

Whereas, in 1972, after 50 years of debate, the U.S. Congress imposed a seven-year ratification deadline, extended in 1978 for three years until June 30, 1982, despite no mention in the U.S. Constitution of deadlines for the ratification of Constitutional amendments;

Whereas, the most recent 27th “Madison Amendment,” dealing with Congressional pay raises, was ratified in 1992 after 203 years versus the ten years allocated to the Equal Rights Amendment;

Whereas, to draft and begin ratification for a new Equal Rights Amendment would ignore the efforts to achieve constitutional equality for women begun in 1923, and it would set a precedent for time limits for achieving equal rights;

Whereas, drafting and ratifying a new Equal Rights Amendment forfeits the previous two-thirds majority vote of the House of Representatives in 1971 and of the Senate in 1972 as well as the vote of thirty-five states that already ratified the Amendment between 1972 and 1977;

Whereas, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment has not sufficed to guarantee to women equal rights under the US Constitution;

Whereas, to date, the only Constitutional right women have that cannot be taken away is the right to vote, obtained in 1920 after a 72-year struggle (19th Amendment);

Whereas, all current legislative protections against sex discrimination, such as the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, can be modified, undermined, or repealed by a simple majority in Congress;

Whereas, a principle of Constitutional law holds that, “One legislature may not bind the legislative authority of its successors”;

Whereas, without an Equal Rights Amendment, the Supreme Court is not required to apply the highest “strict scrutiny standard” of judicial protection in cases of sex or gender discrimination as is applied in cases of racial, religious, and national origin discrimination;

Whereas, without a federal mandate to protect women’s rights on an equal basis with men’s, societal progress is not guaranteed, and is subject to the whims, biases, and ideology of those elected to power;

Whereas, if democratic societies are built upon the notion of equality for all human beings, then the path to achieve equality must exist in perpetuity;

Whereas, the American Ethical Union continues to oppose discrimination against any individual on the basis of sex or gender;

Now, Therefore Be It Resolved that the American Ethical Union supports the passage of a joint resolution, which would require Congress to eliminate its deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and allow the ratification process to continue without the deadline, as the Framers intended, to reach the approval of the three-fourths majority of States required for ratification.

Further Be It Resolved that the American Ethical Union will take action and urges its member Societies and fellowships for Ethical Culture, and the individual members of those Societies and fellowships, to advocate to their Congressional representatives and senators to eliminate Congress’ deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and to allow the ratification process to continue without the deadline, as the Framers intended, to reach the approval of the three-fourths majority of States required for ratification.

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AEU Statement Regarding the Events of January 6thYesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country. People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.#Jan6 #ethicalhumanism ow.ly/uxes50D2Gzn ... See MoreSee Less

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Share your voice! The AEU is seeking volunteers to contribute to our World Human Rights Day Project. Learn more here: ow.ly/YGDC50CYYPL ... See MoreSee Less

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Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture's Ethics for Children program is pleased to invite you to our Celebrating Community family event Sunday, January 10th! Join us for a zoom afternoon of interactive fun featuring art, theatre, and games - all with a spotlight on community.ow.ly/Ybtw50D00VQ ... See MoreSee Less

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We invite you to a family event Celebrating Community! Join us for a zoom afternoon of interactive fun featuring art, theatre, and games.

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Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to vote in the Senate Runoff Election in Georgia! Find election resources, answers to common questions and more here: fairfight.com/georgia-resources/ ... See MoreSee Less

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Yesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a vio Yesterday, we watched in shock and horror as a violent mob attacked the US Capitol, forcing their way inside and occupying areas of the building for hours in an attempt to disrupt the certification of electoral votes submitted by the states. By the end of the day, 4 people were dead, 52 members of the seditious mob were arrested, and 14 police officers were injured. It took the assistance of many additional federal law enforcement personnel and the National Guard to remove the attackers from the Capitol and clear the way for the Joint Congress to resume its work.

Fortunately, the Joint Congress was resolute and refused to let the interruption derail our democracy, working through the night to certify the electoral vote counts for all of the states. However, this episode was an attack on democracy itself, instigated by a sitting president whose actions have severely undermined respect for and trust in the very system that put him in office. 

Mr. Trump has shown only contempt for the democratic process and is a danger to our country.  People who are in a position to remove Mr. Trump from office ought to proceed in haste as this president has repeatedly shown readiness to incite violence and mayhem, and also continues to demonstrate an obsession with the electoral results to the seeming exclusion of other national concerns. Our democratic system of government must be protected from his influence.

As Ethical Humanists, we are called upon to repudiate the anti-democratic tendencies that have gained an unwelcome foothold in public life. Our country will need us to elicit the best from one another and ourselves in the months and years to come.

#Jan6 #EthicalHumanists #EthicalHumanism #Democracy
Looking for new ways to get involved in the new ye Looking for new ways to get involved in the new year? The AEU is seeking volunteers to read Articles of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights in their native languages to create a multilingual oratory experience. 
If you are interested, please email communications@aeu.org!
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