It’s not too often that I’ll use this forum to read
verbatim the text of an e-mail I’ve received.
Today, I’ll make an exception.
Reverend Bob Vanden Bosch is sounding the alarm over the
resurrection of the Equal Rights Amendment. Illinois helped block its
constitutional ratification 20 years ago but the radical feminists have
never given up on it as you’ll learn from the good Reverend’s warning
letter.
It reads…
> URGENT -- Born Alive Infants Protection Act Hits Brick Wall in Illinois
> House -- Equal Rights Amendment Bursts Through Open Door to House Vote
>
> April 28, 2001 SPRINGFIELD, IL -- In a surprise move, the feminist-led
> Democratic Leadership of the Illinois House chose the last possible day
of
> the session to reveal their plans for our state. This past Thursday,
the
> Born Alive Infants Protection Act hit a brick wall and they moved the
Equal
> Rights Amendment (HJRCA 003) to third reading. After lying dormant for
> years, Illinois State Representative Lou Lang has chosen to kick off
his bid
> for Governor in 2002 by impressing his followers by calling for a vote
on
> the Equal Rights Amendment.
>
> For most of us who weren't involved in politics in the early 80s, the
> question is raised: What's the big deal about the Equal Rights
Amendment?
> Why call my state representative on this one?
>
> HISTORY OF THE ERA IN ILLINOIS
> First, Illinois was the last key state on stopping the Equal Rights
> Amendment from being added to our U.S. Constitution. With 35 states
that
> had ratified the amendment up until that time, Illinois would have led
the
> way to ratification IF the STOP ERA movement had not been fully
developed by
> that time.
>
> The leader of the STOP ERA movement nationally was Eagle Forum's
founder,
> Phyllis Schlafly, who organized efforts and worked hand-in-hand with
> then-State Representative Penny Pullen and then-Speaker of the House
George
> Ryan. While we may find it surprising that Speaker Ryan was key in
anything
> that would benefit conservatives in Illinois, then he fought for us.
With
> the help of wonderful women who had families at home and were very busy
in
> those days, like Elizabeth Clarke, Kathleen Sullivan, Joan Cobb and
Madelon
> Genin, to name JUST a FEW, Illinois did NOT ratify the amendment.
>
> Penny Pullen was guarded by State Police during those days, and during
the
> last days of the ERA fight, she had to sit protected under the House
> gallery, rather than be vulnerable to threatened attacks from angry
> activists. Those were the days when the radical feminists poured pig's
> blood in the rotunda of the Capitol, and wrote despised anti-ERA
> legislators' names in blood. This battle was unspeakably intense, and
we
> owe our national freedom from the ERA to these people. That's part of
the
> "big deal" with the ERA in Illinois.
>
> The problem with the ERA
> 1. ERA would provide the Constitutional right to fund abortions. The
New
> Mexico Supreme Court sided with the feminist argument raised before
them
> that for the government not to pay for abortion-on-demand is sexual
> discrimination, based on their state-adopted ERA. While Illinois
currently
> allows Medicaid to fund abortions, if the ERA were to be passed, there
would
> be no hope of ever ending this practice. You and I would continue to be
> forced to pay for the deaths of thousands of babies each year. We must
keep
> the door open to stop this atrocity.
>
> 2. ERA would set the ground work for same sex marriages in Illinois.
The
> Hawaii Supreme Court used their state's adoption of the ERA to argue
that
> denial of same-sex marriage licenses was discrimination based on sex.
While
> Illinois now has a Defense of Marriage law, if the ERA were to be
ratified
> in our state, things could change dramatically.
>
> 3. The ERA ratification process began with a seven year time limit. The
> time limit was passed in 1982. However, the feminist/homosexual
movement
> throughout the nation would be energized by the symbolic passage of the
ERA
> in Illinois, and we could face a whole array of court challenges and a
> movement towards ratification yet once more.
>
> And there's more. Please see the Eagle Forum of Illinois website
through
> www. ileagles.net
>
>
> WHAT YOU MUST DO TO HELP
> Now it appears that Illinois must nail the ERA coffin shut once again.
> After 18 years, we would think that this chapter in history was over.
But
> it is not.
>
> · Please call your state representatives by Tuesday, May 1, 2001. Tell
> them, "Illinois citizens who adhere to traditional family values
have not
> fallen into such a deep sleep that we can't be awakened by radical
> pro-abortion, anti-family attempts to turn our state in a haven for
> abortionists and those who reject traditional family values. We want
ERA
> stopped and infants born alive to be protected in Illinois."
>
> House Speaker Michael Madigan must hear the message that Illinois is
not a
> liberal bastion that will take the political moves of stopping the Live
> Infants Protection Act and moving the Equal Rights Amendment. And House
> sponsor Rep. Lou Lang needs to know that this is not the kind of
leadership
> we want for the state of Illinois, either.
>
> This has been a busy year for activist citizens. But if this move is
met
> with silence, those who would want to change our state into something
that
> does not reflect our value system will be emboldened to attempt more
radical
> movements and will be much more difficult to stop. It’s up to us to
do
> something about it.
>
> Capitol Switchboard 217 782 2000
>
>
> Eagle Forum of Illinois PO Box 233 Oak Forest, IL 60452 708 687 4264
> www.ileagles.net
I might just add that the push to approve the Equal Rights
Amendment will be a national one. It’s not too early to check with
pro-family groups in your area to find out how you can help stop this threat
to our way of life.