Women’s Equality Day 2017

Women’s Equality Day, August 26th, marks the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. DJ Trump never proclaimed equality for women on the day of observance, something every sitting president since Nixon has done. Trump skirted around mentioning equal access to health care, the gender pay gap, or gender-based violence. And hey, we have no shortage of questionable national days so do it right– hello, National Cheeseburger Day.

Here is the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA):
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

It IS that simple.

For years, I have listened to men complain about being discriminated by affirmative action. Guess what men? You will benefit from the passage of the equal rights amendment.

Today, there is little doubt that one of the greatest areas of discrimination against women is in employment. The average is an 18% pay discrepancy annually. Unions report, “we want to protect the little women” than admit that it is lucrative for the men in American industry. Thousands of jobs from which women are arbitrarily excluded are the well-paid, interesting, “male” jobs and what remains are the poorly paid, tedious jobs, as “female” jobs. This is a cruel way of keeping women in a condition of poverty and humiliation. 35% of the families headed by women live in poverty; 61% of the Nation’s poor children live in families headed by women. Your failure to pay equally leads to a nation of children destined for a path of poverty and dependence on government aid.

Equality must be written into our Constitution. Women have not been protected by the Supreme Court; which has not extended to any female citizen the protection of the 5th or the 14th amendments. Why should working women spend thousands of dollars on litigation to gain work equality?

Prevarication that the amendment will keep women with dependent children from receiving alimony is a common scare tactic. The women I know, who are divorced, must work to support their children because child support is not there. If a man divorced his wife, done legally, got custody of the children, alimony, and child support, then good for him.

The ERA would put “gay rights” into the U.S. Constitution. Yes, it’s about damn time!

The ERA will jeopardize single-sex programs and schools. Yes, we need to begin teaching children that sexism in youth lays the foundation for sexism as an adult. We are a country that is sexist; dictated under a current Administration that demonstrates misogyny and racism. The current “ways” are not successful for 1/2 of its population. It is time to change. Additionally, it would take away women’s traditional exemption from military conscription and also from military combat duty. I wholeheartedly believe that all citizens, if able, be exposed to conscription and the ability to join the armed forces.

Yes, the ERA would put abortion rights into the U.S. Constitution and make abortion funding a constitutional right. I am sorry, anti-abortion advocates, your beliefs should not be above the current rules of law. Federal health care does not ban any legal medical procedure for men. Additionally, the ERA will lead to a balancing of insurance companies premiums: health, life, automobile, etc. Women will not be required to pay higher insurance premiums with equality; they will be paying insurance equally with men.

“I will continue to support and uphold equal humanity for all. Let us never forget that all people in the USA are entitled that the equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. ”

Jenneffer Pulapaka

#womeninspirechange #womenlead #docslead #equality

April 12, 2017

Wednesday Wreading: Like a Winding Sheet

Originally published in Vogue, the story chronicles the conflicted thoughts and feelings of Louise Mallard upon hearing of the death of her husband.

“Like a Winding Sheet” by Ann Petry (1945)

March 30, 2017April 5, 2017

The Perspective Drawing Room on ERA

The post I placed on Facebook was meant for spin and reflection. It is an interesting look into the drawing room of a man’s mind with regards to the equal rights amendment and accepted subjugation of women in the workplace & home.

Women, you need to get mad, very mad. History shows that this will not end well for us.

Dialogue:

What hollow words from a pro-misogynistic and ineffectual leader. Show women you have advanced beyond your pussy grabbing, children voyeur, body shaming tactics that got you elected. Your behavior may have been acceptable to the minority of women who voted for you, but you are grossly inadequate and unacceptable to the majority of women in the United States. Elevate women, finish the deal and provide constitutional protection with liberty and justice for all. Women are entitled to equality of rights under the law that shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on the account of sex.

MAN: I’m a little confused, Jenneffer. What “Constitutional Protection” and “Equality of Rights” are Currently being denied women by President Trump?

ME: What I wrote was for him to elevate women and provide them constitutional protection. Equal rights for all has been unfinished business in the United States. Doing so would not require spending or a budget. So maybe this is a deal he can finish.

MAN: You still didn’t answer the question as to what specific Constitutional protections and rights women are Currently being denied?

ME: Let me ask you, other than voting/suffrage, where are a women’s rights protected? Amendment 14 does not reflect equality, but discusses the rights guaranteed. Such that you are not deprived, but it does not protect equality of sexes. Equality. I wan…See More
Like · Reply · 2 · 13 hrs

MAN: OK, Jenneffer. I have no argument with “Equality”,and I respect, your position of a “Level playing field”. Maybe my gender, (and age) 😉 prevents me from seeing where women are denied “Equal Justice”. Would you propose “Tilting” the Playing field to achieve your goal?

ME: I want an agreement of equality protected by my government. I did not detail any tilting in my statement.
Like · Reply · 4 · 12 hrs

MAN: Last comment: (Promise) >>> I See just the opposite. The minute you get the government involved in “Equalization”, you HAVE “Tilted” the playing field. (Just another form of “Affirmative Action”). The laws are already there preventing discrimination. Our constitution guarantees Equal opportunity, NOT Equal Outcome.
Like · Reply · 1 hr · Edited

ME: No, they are already “tilted” in favor of men. Men hold rights and women if treated unequally, must prove that they hold them. Scalia brought forth that women and men are not equal in the Constitution, specifically the 14th Amendment, does not protect against sex discrimination. A person may not be deprived certain liberties, but women are not entitled to equal distribution of them. There’s nothing the courts can do to protect women from government-sanctioned discrimination. Laws preventing women from working in certain professions, using property, building credit, obtaining bank loans/credit cards without husband consent, serving on juries, or working at night were upheld under this standard. Equal rights under the Constitution remove any ambiguity and allows the Courts a clear directive to rule on cases if need be.
Our country is founded on the Constitution; 50% of the people within the United States are not clearly addressed. The 14th Amendment additionally, directs the jurisdiction to the States to uphold the equal protection of the laws. It is possible a State may take away a women’s rights, and the Court will not have a Constitutional ground to rule in favor of equality.

Note: Title IX, addresses some of these issues, but it only addresses public and private schools/universities that receive federal funding.
Like · Reply · 2 mins

ME: Thank you that was fun.

This was written in response to Trump revoking the 2014 Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces order on March 27. Two rules were lost that had the strongest impact on women workers: paycheck transparency and a ban on forced arbitration clauses for sexual harassment, sexual assault or discrimination claims. By overturning the Fair Pay order, Trump made it possible for businesses with federal contracts to force sexual harassment cases into secret proceedings. He is doing a great job of protecting his business partners and has opened the door to work place sex discrimination and sexual harassment, which is to be expected from a man that brags about his pussy grabbing skills. Female employee’s beware, claims against a company will be hidden again and you will not know who your sexual predators are, such as DJT himself.
Paycheck transparency is lost, making it harder for women to rectify discriminatory wages and the pay gap only increases as women become more educated and climb the corporate ladder. The previous Administration realized the abuse though the Government Accountability Office and even published a report detailing the Federal Labor Law Violations by selected federal contractors.
Two words: Misogynistic Demagogue.