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Show Page 6 The Utah Independent September 9, 1976 Continued from page 1 The Paper That Dares To ; ftke A Stand Pro ERA Propaganda in Womans Magazines Redbook: Leader of the 35 Redbook, the magazine that instigated the propaganda blast, published not one but several articles in its July issue. Much can be learned about ERA by the type of women Redbook chose to write those articles. The first was written by Maureen Reagan, a young woman who had divorced two husbands Ty the time she was 25, and now tells reporters: Im looking for the person Id most like to divorce. The second Redbook article was written by Cath-lee- n Douglas, who admits in the article that she was raised in an family. Ms. Douglas abandoned her faith to become the fourth wife of U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. 35-magaz- ine pro-ER- A Irish-Cathol- ic three-times-divorc- ed Douglas. The third article was written by Mrs. Betty Ford, who has made a calculated attack on the moral values of the majority of Americans by expressing a willingness to tolerate fornication and pot smoking by her own children. She also said that the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion was the best thing in the world ... a great, great decision. Among the erroneous statements in the Redbook articles are these: Ms. Reagan states: The ERA ensures only that if a woman chooses to work outside her home and finds a job, her pay will be equal to that of a man holding a similar job. That is false. ERA states: Equality of. rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. ERA does not say that equality of rights may not be denied by private employers. ERA addresses itself only to the law, and will give women absolutely nothing in the area of private employment. This is admitted by all ERA lawyers in legislative hearings. Ms. Douglass article contains a lot of nonsense about a wifes being considered the chattel,' or property, of her husband, with the same legal rights as a goat, a hog or a piece of land. I feel sorry for the wives who read these falsehoods and believe them. This is the way the women's lib movement deliberatelv degrades the homemaker and hacks away at her sense of h and pride and pleasure in being female. The best cure for women who are limited in their h sense of is to stop reading womens self-wort- self-wort- magazines Ms.1 Douglas goes on to say: Because a housewifes work is unpaid, hence unvalued under law, she has no Social Security benefits. This is false. The homemaker who has been in the home as wife and mother all her life, and has never held a paid job at all, can still draw Social Security benefits based on her husbands earnings! This is the high value that our American society places on the role of homemaker. And this is what ERA will take away because it is not en on 8et Social Security benefits unless Ci?Ua" Social Security taxes; but homemakers do. ERA Py will take this valuable superior right away from the homemaker. Ms. Douglas further states that a wife was not a person under the law. This is false. Back in 1875 in the case of Minor v. Happersett, the U.S. Supreme Court officially declared that women are persons and citizens, and entitled to all constitutional rights and guarantees except the right to vote. And we won the vote with the womens suffrage amendment. Its no wonder that women get an inferiority comif they spend much time plex and lose their readingwomensjnagazines telling them that women are not persons. The fact is that women are persons, and the U.S. Supreme Court officially declared that fact more than a century ago. self-estee- m How the Articles Were Slanted Many magazines directed their readers for more information ONLY to sources, and did not give any clue as to where they could get information opposed to ERA. These magazines included: Parents' Magazine, Good Houskeeping, Modern Bride, Viva, and True Experience. A good example of the unscholarly evasion of the real issues is the way these various magazines handled the fact that ERA will cause our young women to be drafted just like men the next time we have a war, and also require them to be put in combat just like men. Most ofthe magazines revealed their contempt for the intelligence of their readers by the way they dragged red herrings across this issue in order to avoid coming to grips with the inevitability of our young girls being sent into combat the next time we have a Vietnam or a pro-ER- A Korea. Family Circle said that the prospect of infantry women is highly unlikely. The fact is. that, under ERA, the prospect of infantry women would be highly certain. p , ., Several magazines, ,n Ing, echoed a favorite added equal rights constitutions. The fact? Woman's Day staieu uuu V2u have dren would undoubtedly be exempted, as lathersfathers been in the past. The fact is that, under ERA, if too. are drafted, mothers would have to be dratted, Mothers could not be exempted unless fathers are likewise exempted. Whether fathers are drafted deWorld War pends on the national emergency. During II, fathers up through age 35 were drafted and put in combat. of McCall's stated: Its unlikely, for a variety front-line would see reasons, that very many women action. ... Anyone with emotional reservations about of a combat plakilling would tend to be screened out toon. The fact is that millions of American men have action and at least 99 served in front-lin- e them had emotional reservations about killing before them out of comthey were drafted. That didnt keep bat. They were trained to kill in defense of our country, and they did. That is what combat means. service is, Cosmopolitan stated: Our military that, right now, a volunteer one, so it is inconceivable who a pro-hav- e state ERAs, and women inti mg to lose rights. The othe same language as the proa viously, a law which does cannot have the same efe the language of the 14th different from ERA, and which limit the effect in v support, the military, andi dations. What Happene at present at least, any women except those wanted to join the military would do so. What a sleazy amendment way to sidestep the issue! A constitutional and for years into years is NOT just for the present, but the future, including all the future wars that our coun- try will fight. articles would do The writers of all the well to study the majority report ofthe House Judiciary which stated: Not only would Committee (No. women, including mothers, be subject to the draft, but the military would be compelled to place them in com-bunits alongside, of men. This prediction cannot be disputed by any responsible person and, as a matter of fact, has not been disputed in any state legislative hearing. The present laws which exempt women from combat duty are clearly sexist laws that give a right to women that is not given to men. Such exemptions would clearly be invalid under ERA. pro-ER- A 92-35- 9) at The Big Smear Several of the magazines indulged in the usual smearmongering tactics of ERA proponents by hurling epithets such as conspiracy and Communist at those opposed to ERA. For example, the obscene article The magazine Playgirl entitled its pro-ERConspiracy to Kill the ERA. To read this long and rambling article, which makes a variety of personal and hysterical attacks on Stop ERA leaders, you must pass by many obscene color photographs and a nude male As one final example articles pro-ERmagazines, take this statei of the A cle in Glamour: or Fourth-of-Jul- y going to put the ERA isn' country sexes on ism is so limitlessly works Day your husband bakes really likes to cook and yo I There is no evidence that the Communist Party is working against ERA. In fact, there was a banner with the Communist hammer and sickle carried in the parade and demonstration at the State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois on May 16, 1976. Among the large organizations opposed to ERA that Parents' Magazine failed to mention are the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion of New York State, the Farm Bureau in many states, the National Council of Catholic Women, the Catholic Daughters of America, the Knights of Columbus in many states, the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod (Commission on Theology & Church Relations), the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, the Mormon Church, dozens of congregations of the Church of Christ, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, the Union of Orthodox Rabbis, the PTA in many states, the Federation of Womens Clubs in many states, and many other organizations too numerous to pro-ER- A mention. Several magazines, including McCall's and n s Day, echoed the usual pro-ERclaim that y President since Eisenhower has endorsed ERA. The that, when Presidents Eisenhower, jsJohnson endorsed ERA, it had it the Hayden Clause which stated: The attached to of provisions this article shall not be construed to impair Wo-ma- e the Federal courts. So th purported to give a lull d censored out all discussio is the most important pari ing. Klan. ev-er- y, - pSS So long as that clause was in ERA, it was accenti when that mens issues and put then f which try to pin the Communist label on anyone opposed to ERA. Parents' Magazine purports to list the organizations which are for and against ERA. The only organizations listed as opposed to ERA are: Communist Party, U.S.A., John Birch Society, Humanitarian Opposes the Degrading Our Girls (Hot Dog), Ku Klux nf"d No wonder the 35 m tion 2! The ERA propone American people do N01 absolute ramifications-o- ti be treated exactly the sai touched by Federal, state Parents' Magazine is one of several magazines Ken-ned- law, divorce, child custbd tive labor legislation, and so-call-ed centerfold. fa the Federal courts. Sectic Government the last rema the Washington politician! ing fingers into, including Space limitations pro all the many other fth ing in the 35 magazines. Man the potty issui opponents --- but without e A A Not a single one ofthe effect of Section 2 of ERA Section 2 did not exist! hi tend to discuss ERA, butn Section 2 states: Th power to enforce, by appioj sions of this article. This is a grab for powe is the section that would tn to women and everything ence between the sexes ii administered by the Fei clause, and similar clauses into-duce- d by Senator Sam Ervin in the Senate and Con gressman Wggins in the House, were struck outof ERA, the legislative history proves that ERA will rive wives of the right to be supported by their dephu bands, the benefits women receive under labor legislation, and the exemptions women protective now have from the draft and combat duty. So there! com pudding, If you wan vote for El What Ca Since the magazines that they have closed mini ti only recourse is to write are substantial customers those magazines, and we s feel about the grossly bia 35 magazines are financi mei subscribers - but by ions of dollars into full-The 35 magazines h prop print their of speech to register our who in turn can complaii On the last page of tl the major advertisers in w addresses, and informatic ried their ads in July 19 r panies had at least one listed. Many had two, thn the July issue of each ma Address the presidei -- p pro-ER- A - in your own words and along the following lines a Dear Mr. Smith: I have been I c note tns n the for many years. ducts anil magazines. I wonder if you know that in July 1976 to publish articles i Amendment, but refused to K1 against ERA. The majority of women op the rights ofthe homemaker. It ' supported by her husband, to g to draw Social Security benefit! will make our young women s have a war. Through Section 2. and put them in the hands ot t |