Before being active in anti-ERA campaigns, Schlafly had not taken much interest in feminism. Her turn to antifeminism reflected a “turn in grassroots conservationism to social issues.” (Critchlow: 217) Schlafly had many reasons to back up her opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment. In about 100 subsequent publication of her monthly newsletter, The Phyllis Schlafly Report, Schlafly talked about the dangers of the ERA. In the February 1972 publication of “What’s Wrong with ‘Equal Rights’ for Women?”, Schlafly expressed the fundamental principles that would guide the anti-ERA campaign. She believed that the family “assures a woman the most precious and important right of all—the right to keep her own baby and to be supported and protected in the enjoyment of watching her baby grow and develop.” (Schlafly: 90) Schlafly recognized the benefit to the traditional way of a family, which is that men were obligated to support and protect their wives and children.
In addition to discussing the positives of the current situation, she also said that the ERA won’t give women any new rights: “The fact is that women already enjoy every constitutional right that men enjoy and have enjoyed equal employment opportunity since 1964.” (Schlafly: 119) The ERA only pertains to government actions and not private actions so it won’t guarantee equal pay for equal work. (Viguerie: 138) The ERA instead would take away rights and privileges. Drafted women would have to combat equally with men. It would also abolish a woman’s right to child support and alimony. The ERA would also transfer immense powers to the federal government and make taxpayer funding of abortion and same-sex marriages constitutional rights. (Schlafly: 120) She felt that the women libbers don’t realize that most women what to live their traditional ways so actions must be taken.
By the time Phyllis Schlafly began campaigning in 1972, 30 out of the required 38 states had already ratified the amendment. After Schlafly created a campaign, 35 states ratified the amendment. In trying to stop further ratification is truly a heroic act. Through her countless speeches, books, radio addresses and monthly newsletter, the Equal Rights Amendment fell short of supporting states needed for ratification. After ten years, on June 30, 1982, the ERA died.
Phyllis Schlafly is clearly someone who rejects the idea that American women are oppressed and mistreated. Most people will have the opposite opinion but the essays in her book Feminist Fantasies explains clearly why she feels the way she does. Schlafly talked about what the roles of men and the roles of women should be. She talks about the morality of women receiving the same rights as men. She also made comparisons between the United States and other countries such as Africa.
Schlafly believes that of all the classes, the American woman is the most privileged. They have the most rights and the fewest duties. “The family gives a woman the physical, financial, and emotional security of the home for all her life.” (Schlafly: 90) The inventions in America have helped reduce the work load of women. The use of electricity allows women to run all the labor-saving devices to complete tasks which otherwise would take many servants to complete. The invention of the sewing machine by Elias Howe resulted in an abundance of readymade clothing. The invention of the process of freezing foods by Clarence Birdseye is used to preserve food so the need to shop everyday is reduced. Henry Ford’s mass production of automobiles allows Americans to move from one place to another to get the things necessary. Women in other countries have a harder time doing their daily tasks. They often go on foot to get food at a certain amount or else it will spoil since the people of those countries weren’t as fortune as Americans. The time required to complete household duties has been reduced so there is more leisure time for women. Women, from Schlafly’s point of view, have greater rights than women of other countries and by fighting for “equal rights” will only lead to relegation.
Phyllis Schlafly is a woman who speaks her opinion. When the ERA was introduced to her, she found it to be unjust and therefore organized events, wrote books, and got supporters. By doing what she felt was necessary Schlafly was able to rid of the ERA. I am somewhat like her because if there is something that will affect me that I don’t like, I will try to appeal it. I will not want to live with something that could possibly cause harm to many people. The only difference between me and her is that I probably won’t have gone very far in the process. She was very persistent in achieving her goal and it paid off. I would want to emulate that tenacity because being persistent can make the seemingly impossible tasks possible.
Phyllis Schlafly is someone whose life is worth knowing. She is unlike any other typical woman. She tried something and succeeded. She proved that any one person can make a difference. Her fight against the Equal Rights Movement was an arduous task that took many years to complete. It was backed up with many reasons in the form of essays and books. She has truly made an impact on the lives of many.
Works Cited
Critchlow, Donald T. Phyllis Schlafly and grassroots conservatism a woman's crusade. Princeton, N.J: Princeton UP, 2005. It provides a insightful view on Schlafly's life and activism. Critchlow gained access to private collection of Schlafly's papers and reveals the inside story of Schlafly road to success. It shed new light on the emergence of the Republican Rights. This book gives a point of view that would have been obscured in other works.
Schlafly, Phyllis. Feminist Fantasies. Boston: Spence Company, 2003. It provides many essays from the 1980s and 1990s that argues why women are fine in their current situation. It also speculates on the consequences of "equal right." This primary source provided an insight on how Schlafly views feminism.
Tobias, Sheila. Faces of Feminism An Activist's Reflections on the Women's Movement (Foundations of Social Inquiry). New York: Westview P, 1998. It provides historical and cultural analysis of feminism from the 1950s to the present. Tobias documented many difficult and controversial issues and talks about the results. This book talked about what Phyllis Schlafly had done in an informative and helpful way.
Viguerie, Richard A. America's right turn how Conservatives used new and alternative media to take power. Chicago: Bonus Books, 2004. It explains how the conservative movement came to power by utilizing the media. It also provides predictions of what may happen in the struggle of conservative vs. liberal powers. This book is an informative piece of work which gave information I needed.
