Show The Equal Rights Amendment tf By Senator Jake Garn r Certainly one of the most controversial sial battles facing the nation today is the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment ERA EnA In order for the ERA to become law it must receive ratification from at least 38 states I personally oppose the Equal Rights Amendment and will take this opportunity opportunity opportunity to explain my opposition The ERA is overly broad and vague The proposed a amendment for example example example exam exam- would prohibit the government from making any distinctions based on sex This prohibition would be enforced by the strongest possible Constitutional Constitutional language and precedent For instance instance instance in in- stance if military conscriptions were ever Congress would be Constitutionally unable to make statutory distinctions between men and women and both sexes would have to be drafted into combat duty under the same regulations We can only guess at many of the ERAS ERA'S effects If the United States Constitution is amended to provide that equality of not be be denied or account of sex the ramifications in the area of privacy and other areas of relations between the sexes will be ranging far-ranging and no one knows just how far It has be been n opined by legal scholars that laws laws' regulating homosexual behavior would be drastically affected by y ratification ra mica ti n. n i GJ iERA vere ri ratified laws forbidding marriage I Between between Bet bet- et- et persons of the same sex would be declared unconstitutional under the same legal theories that struck down laws forbidding marriages between persons of different races This effect is somewhat sure but it is not what is apparently intended by many ERA advocates ad ad- It is another offshoot of the vague language and its possible conse conse- ERA has the potential of creating specific results which are not favored by many Americans and have very littie little little lit lit- tle tie to do with sexual equality Many ERA EnA proponents hold that ratification of the amendment would enshrine abortion as a Constitutional right This conclusion can be disputed but it is firmly held by many ERA supporters I certainly do not want to see abortion- abortion on-demand on given possible Constitutional Constitutional Constitutional sanction by this amendment and andI I am sure I am not alone in this belief But the results that follow ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment may include abortion and other specific matters which will be widely opposed Section 2 of the proposed Amendment Amendment Amendment Amend Amend- ment empowers Congress to Uto enforce by appropriate legislation the nondiscrimination nondiscrimination nondiscrimination non- non discrimination provisions of Section 1 I can envision a whole new set of Federal laws and regulations designed to regulate the affairs of a free people The effects of the Federal governments government's governments government's governments government's govern govern- ments ment's intrusiveness through regulations regulations regulations regula regula- many of which deal with sex t discrimination are already very evi evi- evi- evi dent The Department of Health Education and Welfare HEW has issued edicts edicts to prohibit daddy- daddy daughter dances and boys choirs It would be an error to give the Federal government additional authority under ERA Although I oppose ratification of SERA ERA I ha have supported p or ed and willon- willon Vil 7 to support specific statutory remedies for specific discriminatory practices in employment credit housing housing housing hous hous- ing education and other areas It is my view that freedom equality and responsibility for all Americans regardless of sex can best be served by means other than the Equal Rights Amendment |