Proposed Rule: Equal Rights Amendment
The equal rights amendment was sponsored by the Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Senator Robert Menendez in June 22, 2011. This amendment aims at reaffirming and ensuring equal application of the United States’ constitution by stating that men and women are equal and shall not be abridged or denied any service on accounts of gender. The equal rights amendment, basically, is a legislation that seeks to strike a balance between male and female in this country. It seeks to address the disparities and inconsistencies that have been legalized by the previous amendments that have undermined women and promoted men. According to Connolly (2012), the equal rights amendment will simply ensure that both men and women will have equal rights before the law. It will ensure that women’s rights and freedoms will not be abridged by the United States or any other branch of the government. The equal rights amendment act is founded in the gender equality act of 1923. The act was championed by the founder and the then leader of the national women’s party, a party formed to champion the rights of women in the United States. The success of this law gave immense powers to women in America including the right to vote in elections.
If this proposal sails through successfully, it will open a new page in the American society in regard to ownership of property. The first clause will spell out the right for women to own any property in any form. This bill seeks to establish a culture where all women in the United States will be free and have the power to own property in whatever form in this country. The time for women to play second fiddle is over, and every man and woman in this country should have equal property rights. This bill will establish that women have every right to own property of whatever value under their name throughout America. The same shall apply to every other place subject to its jurisdiction.
Secondly, if passed into law, women will no longer be discriminated when it comes to the inheritance of family property. This amendment will give women an equal footing when it comes to inheritance and ownership of family property. The bill will make sure that in the event of the death of the custodian women will have the same opportunity as men when it comes to property inheritance. This shall apply in the entire United States with effect from the prescribed date. This provision, however, will not be construed to prejudice any rights, exemptions or gains at present or hereafter conferred by law upon people of the same sex. In other words, this amendment only affects men and women, and not any other section of the society. Congress reserves the authority as stipulated in the supreme law to enforce this provision through appropriate legislation (Klein, 2005).
In conclusion, I submit that this legislation needs to encompass the needs of all the minority groups in the society and not just women alone. Although I fully support the amendment in its entirety, I think that other minority groups such as gays and lesbians need to be recognized and protected by the amendment. We all recognize the fact that gays and lesbian association are on the rise globally; therefore, the United States must appreciate the need of enacting laws that recognize all people regardless of their sexual orientation. All people must have the necessary legal background to own property in any form irrespective of their religion, gender or social cadre.
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