I Never Thought I'd See This Again

Way back, back when we wore peasant blouses and peace signs and apple core pendants, there was such a thing introduced called the Equal Rights Amendment. It was 1972. The ERA was meant to close the wage gap between men and women, ensure women had equal rights and eliminate discrimination in the workplace.

The ERA was brought up again in 1978. And again in 1982. In 82 it passed both houses of Congress at last, but when brought to state ratification, only 35 of the 38 states needed were behind it before the bill expired.

As insane as it sounds, women still make 77 cents to the dollar that men make in the same job, close to 40 years on. I've lived this reality all my working life. "It's a man's world," I was told.

Now the ERA has been reintroduced in Congress. Perhaps it's time. I'd like to see my greatniece (and she is great) get a fairer deal than her older women relatives did. I really never thought I'd see it come back. After the shafting the SCOTUS just gave the women Waldemort workers... well, let's just say our SCOTUS SUCKS. And our Congress has been less than inspiring. But maybe, just maybe, it'll make it this time. I'm afraid to hope it will; that audacity fell by the wayside a long time back. What I do hope is that I'm proved wrong.