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Show of a woman to serve as a vast resource of thought- Family Weekly/ April 12, 1964 ful energy for the betterment of her community, whether by raising a family or utilizing her talents in the working world or combining both.” But because equality of rights is not written into the U.S. Constitution, the American woman is frustrated in realizing the objectives so articulately expressed by the First Lady. Nearly everystate allows discrimination against women, and it affects their lives as mothers, breadwinners, taxpayers, and citizens. A Texas lawyer told me that, in his state, if a man kills his wife—or the other man—in a case of adultery, it is justifiable homicide. There is no penalty for this under Texas law. Butif a woman kills her husband or the other woman under the same circumstances, it is murder. The penalty: possible death. In Kentucky, a husband may divorce his wife on suspicion of misconduct; but she must prove habitual adultery if she wants to divorce him. In Florida, a woman cannotenter into a contract without her husband’s consent. In Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina, women are barred from jury service. And in 27 other states, there are restraints applicable only to women. Are Second-Class Citizens! Feminine wrath is rising against laws that penalize women underthe guise of protecting them In many states, a womanhas neitherthe right to sell nor give away her own property without her husband’s consent. Nor can she go into business without court permission to have her “dis- abilities” as a married woman removed. One state university even denied admission to three women purely on grounds of sex, and the U.S. Supreme Court did nothing to reverse the decision. One of these women wanted to take LTHOUGH they outnumber the men, dominate their families, and control 70 percent of the nation’s wealth, women are the largest minority group courses given only by that university. The re- jection denied her the opportunity to enter the profession of her choice, and she had no further recourse in the courts. in the United States! It also is virtually an accepted fact of economic life that American women do not receive equal pay when they do the same jobs as men. A New York law is typical of a more subtle discrimina- The opposition is neither racial nor religious; it is based on the prejudice that women are the weaker sex. Equality of rights for all citizens tion, which is described euphemistically as “protection” of the so-called “weaker sex.” A wait- is a basic concept of democracy. The Federal Constitution has been amended to assure that ress is not permitted to work between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. without a special permit, although this is when tipping is heaviest. Professionally, women are in the minority. these rights are not denied because of race, color, or creed. But what about sex? Except for the vote, which was won by the Suffragists in 1920, there is nothing in the Federal Constitution that Only two sit in the U.S. Senate. (The 98 male assures women equal rights with men. The importance of the subject is underscored right now by the presence of a new and active First Lady in the White House. Mrs. Lyndon senators have free use of a swimming pool and enjoy haircuts for only the price of a tip—but not the women.) Only three women hold Federal judgeships among 422 men.Only 6 percent of our doctors are women ; less than half that percentage Johnson has the full confidence of the President, commands his respect, and is credited with focus- are lawyers. And women brokers are not allowed ing new attention on the potential of American on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange! The late President Kennedy, whose family includes some very active women, was keenly aware women. Explaining her philosophy, she told me: “The great effort of women, I believe, is not to invade a man’s world or to create a woman’s world; rather it is to be a full operating partner in a compassionate world. “In the Space Age, no one has a right to be a passive citizen. It is increasingly the business 4 Family Weekly, April 12, 1964 of these inequities and of the fact that the ConExste FRANKFURT “The whole concept of special labor laws for women is nonsense and totally unfair.” stitution is sadly lacking in assuring equal rights to women. One day at a news conference, a woman reporter asked what he was doing aboutit. |