HEY! E.R.A. SUPPORTERS IN AND AROUND FLORIDA:

SANDY OESTREICH, Founder/President of Equal Rights Alliance Inc., writes:
"This is a fabulous blog about the Equal Rights Amendment that everyone thinks has passed! Especially young women are stunned to find that they are not mentioned in the Constitution at all, that the only right they have is the hard-won Right To Vote, Amendment 19, that women were jailed, beaten and force-fed in order to achieve. And THAT Amendment was only made possible by one single vote of a legislator!"

WOMANIST replies:
"You are so right how young people think (or don't think) about the rights of women and how they were achieved — up to this point. Imagine — 143 years to give women the right to vote! 198 years to get Congress to consider adding women to the Constitution! And 231 years later — women still are not represented in the Constitution of the United States. Appalling!


Sandy further offers five action plans to the VOTERS OF FLORIDA:

Your Alliance is still working tirelessly, with joy at the prospect of ratifying the ERA!

We are at the brink of an onslaught by Phyllis Schlafly (82 y/o, but still amazingly effective) just like the ones that killed 4 states' successful ERA efforts in the past year! Those were MO, AK, LA, and NV. I'd sent you all the YouTube of one of those stunning hearings. Our side was well-prepared with Constitutional lawyers and experts. In 3 minutes, she demolished their chances.

You and I and the Equal Rights Alliance cannot let that happen in Florida: We have worked extremely hard, non-stop, and made more progress than any other state.

I personally appeal to you to help make certain our legislators won't turn over their votes like those did. We must ask you to increase your own efforts tremendously as we volunteers cannot do it all, obviously. Besides, YOU and how you urge the ERA are the MOST important factors in getting your own 2 FL legislators to cosponsor and vote for Florida's ratification.
So, we are asking you to pick at least ONE ACTION from this list, PLEASE. Do it now, while legislators have time for you and will listen about ERA. Tallahassee is a zoo, and they aren't as interested in us as in you, trust me. You are their employer!

Choose one, and let me know you've done it:

1) Make an appointment to visit your FL senator and representative. Call Supervisor of Elections for contact info. Just tell them you are a Constituent (read, employer!) and strongly support the ERA, and ask your 2 legislators where they stand on the ERA bill, (and why, if possible). That's all. Then get back to us with that info so we can plot our 2008 Session strategies for Tallahassee. Again, this action is THE MOST important one for ERA right now!

or
2) Phone your 2 legislators as a Constituent, and ask that question. Let us know the result.

or
3) Let us know you will speak before your county's group of legislators this Fall, and we will fwd you a 3 min. speech or do one of your own, and will send details of meeting.
or

4) Purchase from Alliance one of the "Someday a Woman Will Be President" dolls that WalMart banned as the shirt's statement "is against our family values". $25. Manufacturer is now closed. Description and purchase information is at our web site, www.RatifyERAflorida.net.

or
5) Donate an amount that reflects how you value achieving an ERA.

Thank you for your support of YOUR ERA!
Sandy, ERA Board, and Staff

Sandy Oestreich
Founder/President, Equal Rights Alliance Inc.,
(The Organization with Leaders Dedicated Solely to Florida's Ratification of the re-ignited ERA)
and Vice President, the national ERA Education Fund, Inc., 501(c)3
727-393-0932, phone/fax

RatifyERA@cs.com
PO Box 59023
North Redington Beach, FL 33708