Why Did The Equal Rights Fail?

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There are many theories as to why the Equal Rights Amendment failed. The E.R.A. was passed by the Senate on March 22nd, 1972, proposing to ban gender-based discrimination. It was sent to the states to be ratified; however, it failed to receive the three-fourths validation it needed. The E.R.A. failed to be accepted each time and was eventually forgotten in the years following its issuance. So, why did the Equal Rights Amendment fail? People, whether for or against the idea of prohibiting gender-related prejudice, all have their own opinions and views on the reason why the E.R.A. failed. Some believe it was due to the lack of support from others, while others believe it failed because it was too gender-specific. However, very few think that it was due to the persuasive influence of others' thick judgment. It was a strict preference for giving women the same equal rights and responsibilities as men that ultimately doomed the Equal Rights Amendment from the very beginning. Although support for the E.R.A. seemed to have a steady streak, according to a Gallup Poll, it appears that those who favored it decreased from 1979-1980 but built back up in 1981. Those opposing the amendment gradually increased in number, while those unsure or with no opinion decreased from 12 to 4 over the seven years the amendment attempted ratification (Doc B). The E.R.A. was sent to many states in an effort to gain endorsement. Although many states, like Hawaii and California, ratified the amendment, what brought the E.R.A. to its knees were the states that rescinded their ratification and the states that never ratified it in the first place, including Florida (Doc D). According to another chart (that showed the percentage favoring the E.R.A....

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...failed due to many circumstances, including favoritism, gender-related opinions, and persuasive judgment from others.

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