Arkansas Denies America’s Servicewomen Equality in Constitution

i(Deceased) Army Pfc, Sarina N. Butcher (19 yrs)

(Deceased) Army Captain Gussie M. Jones (41 yrs)

(Deceased) Sgt. Zainah C. Creamer (28 yrs)

1. Army Pfc Sarina N. Butcher died when her vehicle was attacked in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb.
2. Army Captain Gussie M. Jones died from a heart attack in Bagdad.
3. Army Sergeant Zainah Caye Creamer died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit.

On April 2, 2013, the following five Arkansas senators on the Committee on State Agencies and Government Affairs, saw to it that the honor, dignity and respect of full citizenship to America’s servicewomen  and to all women was DENIED.

Sen. Eddie Jo Williams (Chair)

Sen. Jane English (Vice Chair)

Sen. Bryan King

Sen. Jimmy Hickey

Sen. Gary Stubblefield

Pfc Sarina, Sgt. Zainah and Capt. Gussie are listed among Arkansas’ Fallen Soldiers of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

In January 2013, the Pentagon announced its recommendation to lift the ban on women in combat.  Great! BUT where was the recommendation for Uncle Sam to lift the ban on women included in the Constitution?

Governor Mike Beebe and First Lady Ginger Beebe, do you approve of the fact that Arkansas under your leadership freely chose to disallow women the equivalent protection of the US Constitution that men have?

Secretary Hagel, no more SERVICEWOMEN into Harm’s Way without  ending their 2nd class citizenship under the ERA.

These five senators not only disgraced the residents, students, families, businesses, nonprofits and military that reside within their districts, but willfully ignored the courage and sacrifice that led Sarina, Zainah and Gussie into battle and to all women who are subjected to customary and institutional oppression under the U.S. government today.

Stop playing “god” with women’s lives in the US and around the world under the guise of legality or morality.

America, wake up and get real.  Politics in government is the best reality show on TV and you have your very own role to play.  Tune out the trash and tune into your rights being upheld.     We the People will be the (s)heroes of this hit reality show here and around the world when you wake up to insist upon equality for all under the ERA 2015 campaign.

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Related:

Link to the actual hearing in the AR Assembly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiTngTyYe48&feature=youtu.be

Link to full AP article covering ERA hearing in Arkansas.

http://www.baxterbulletin.com/viewart/20130403/NEWS01/304030027/Ark-Senate-panel-rejects-Equal-Rights-Amendment

Posted: April 2, 2013 – 3:55pm  Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press 
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A renewed effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution failed before an Arkansas state Senate panel Tuesday, after opponents said they believed the move would have unintended consequences ranging from mandatory coed bathrooms to government-funded abortions.

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New Mexico Legislators Say No More Delay for the ERA!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

State SenatorJacob Candelaria  and State Representative Gail Chasey jointly introduced a memorial resolution on January 21 (SM7) and January 23 (HM7) respectively re-affirming New Mexico's earlier vote for the Equal Rights Amendment.  New Mexico became one of 35 states to support the amendment to grant full rights to women under the U.S. Constitution before it was thought to have "expired" by congressional deadline in 1982. The local pair seeks to engage members of N. Mexico's 113th Congressional delegation to cosponsor and vote YES to remove the deadline for ratification of the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment.

Their actions come in advance of the much anticipated reintroduction of Senate Joint Resolution 39 (S.J. Res. 39) and House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res. 47) from the 112th Congress. 

Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland (MD) and then-Representative Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin (WI) jointly debuted the legislation proposed by United 4 Equality, LLC, of Washington, DC, on behalf of women and girls across the United States who remain 2nd class citizens in the 21st Century until the ERA is ratified. Maryland and Wisconsin already ratified the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972.

With majority support favoring equality among the sexes from 1972 - 1977 when 2/3 of Congress approved the ERA along with 35 states, many of the bills' cosponsors said it's time for a bi-partisan Congress to eliminate any deadline for the remaining three states necessary to approve this fundamental right for women of the United States. 

The Equal Rights Amendment states:

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

The New Mexico Legislature's House Judiciary Committee passed the resolution 11:2 on Monday. The Senate Rules Committee will hear the bill next week. United 4 Equality, LLC's joint resolution in the 113th Congress is expected to be reintroduced in celebration of Women's History Month in March.

The Feminist Caucus of the Humanist Society of New Mexico , an affilitate of the America Humanist Association, sought local support from the New Mexico Legislature for removing the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 113th Congress.  Dr. Sylvia Ramos of Albuquerque, chair of the Feminist Caucus in New Mexico, said of the committee hearing held Monday, February 11, that one legislator exclaimed, “It’s about time!”  Another was incredulous that the ERA had not already been ratified. Several members of the audience rose to express their support and gratitude including  one woman who in the 1970s worked for ERA's ratification in 4 states. Another woman broke into tears as she shared that she wanted her three (3) daughters to have the same rights as her son as they grow up in our country.

The American Humanist Association has endorsed the congressional resolutions. AHA's Feminist Caucus is a supporting partner of United 4 Equality, LLC's ERA 2015 campaign.