Letter: Amendment is more ambitious than older ERA

Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005 | 8:53 a.m.

I was delighted to see a story about the Equal Rights Amendment in the Feb. 16 edition of the Sun. There is, however, a presumption made in the article ("Nevada lawmaker revives Equal Rights Amendment") that I would like to challenge.

Associated Press reporter Kathleen Hennessey wrote, "Advocates also are struggling to maintain the amendment as a top priority for women's groups. The National Organization for Women has taken steps that distance it from the women's movement's most famous failure."

It is simply not the case that NOW wishes to water down the ERA. The proposed Constitutional Equality Amendment includes equity for Americans of both genders, regardless of sexual orientation, race, marital status, parental status, ethnicity and indigence. If anything, the proposed CEA is far more robust and ambitious than the original ERA.

NOW has a progressive agenda appropriate for the new millennium and does not bend to the political whims, or conservative agendas, in vogue at any given time.

The Southern Nevada chapter of NOW unequivocally encourages the passage of the ERA. We will work with Assemblywoman Kathy McClain to educate Nevadans that equality is needed now more than ever. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I have worked too long and hard against segregated public accommodations to end up segregating my moral concern. Justice is indivisible." It is never too late for equality.

JESSICA E. BROWN

Editor's note: The writer is incoming president of the Southern Nevada Chapter of the National Organization for Women.