U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says the movement to ratify an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as part of the Constitution should "start over."
The view, which Ginsburg gave in a recent interview at Georgetown Law School, surprised some observers because she is an ardent, longtime supporter of the ERA.
The ERA would guarantee equal treatment under the law regardless of a person's sex. It was first proposed in 1923.
The U.S. Constitution requires that three-fourths of the states ratify any proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The controversy arises because Virginia recently became the 38th and (some say) the final state needed. But it is long after the 1982 deadline for ratification. Two other states acted belatedly and five more have rescinded their earlier approvals.
I would like to see a new beginning. I’d like it to start over.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Supreme Court Justice
According to Ginsburg, there is "too much controversy” around the question of whether three-fourths of the states have ratified the ERA.
ERA opponents say the constitutional amendment is outdated and would have far-reaching implications, such as giving universal rights to abortion and same-sex marriage, and elimination of same-sex public bathrooms.
Click on the link below to read the story in TheAtlantic.com:
Leave a Reply