Back in November of 2019, I wrote a piece about the struggle
to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, if ratified it would become
the twenty-eighth amendment to our Constitution. I had the greatest
chance in many years with the Democrats Taking control of the
legislature and governor's seat in the state of Virginia. And on
Monday, January 27, 2020 the ERA passed both houses in Virginia.
This momentous occasion was swallowed up, like everything else
of importance that has happened in the past two months, by the
impeachment trial of the president, Donald J. Trump. And yes,
I understand this is history in the making, and it is one of the most
important events in the past twenty years. In fact it has been almost
twenty years of the day of the last impeachment. But it has been
one hundred years since equal rights for women was first proposed.
It is fitting that a state named for a woman is the state that was the last
one needed to ratify the amendment. It has been a long hard struggle
to get to this place in time. But please hold your cheers and confetti.
We are so close to the finish line and still we cannot get across it. Why
you ask, because the U. S. Justice Department, which is headed the
ultra conservative Attorney General, William Barr. The Justice
Department issued a legal memo concluding that; because the deadline
has expired, it is too late to ratify the ERA. The only option is to begin
the process over again.
The National Archives, which certifies the ratification of amendments,
said it would abide by the opinion "unless otherwise directed by a
final court order". So here we go again.
The year 2020 has special meaning for women, it is one hundred years
since the ratification of the nineteenth amendment grating women the
right to vote. And what a way to celebrate that victory, but with another
victory for women, the ERA! As I write this, there are three states who
are suing to have the ERA be recognized as ratified and become the
twenty-eighth amendment. The fight for women's rights continues, and
here is one reason why we need to win this fight.
The National Archives, in order to honor the one hundredth anniversary
of women's suffrage, designated an exhibit called; "Rightfully Hers:
Women and the Vote". the entrance to the exhibit is flanked by two
large photos, 49x69 inches is size. One showing a march of women
protesting for suffrage, it was taken in 1913. The second photo was
taken in 2017, it is a photo of the Women's March on Washington. It
shows women marching to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump
as president. In both photos the women are carrying signs with
protest slogans, but there is one discernable difference, the signs in
the photo taken in 2017 have certain images blurred out. A check of
the original photo shows that the images which have been blurred were
derogatory messages directed at the president. In another instance words
describing parts of the female anatomy, both anatomical and crude, were
also blurred out, even those words were used by the president, himself.
The National Archive is a massive building on Pennsylvania Avenue,
between the Capitol Building and the White House. Surrounding its
portico are giant columns that lead to impressive doors guarded by
a statue, a female named Heritage. She is there to protect the American
heritage that is on display within those doors. Inside are depictions of
war, violence, racism, and misogyny, as part of our American heritage.
History is messy, but to alter the truth was an attempt to erase the
powerful message those women were trying to deliver.
In fairness, the National Archives has apologized for scrubbing the
photos, I don't know if there are plans to restore them. But if the National
Archives wishes to teach the history of this great nation, then it must
do it honestly, warts and all.
I'm just sayin'.
