| | In 1966, Friedan founded the National Organization for Women (NOW), and demanded a new right to abortion and passage of the so-called "Equal Rights Amendment." | | In 1966, Friedan founded the National Organization for Women (NOW), and demanded a new right to abortion and passage of the so-called "Equal Rights Amendment." |
| − | The Supreme Court stunned the country by declaring abortion to be a constitutional right on January 22, 1973, in the case of ''Roe v. Wade''. Even the woman "Jane Roe" in that case, whose real name is Norma McCorvey, now says the ruling was wrong and abortion is a mistake. But the Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution provides for a right to abortion even though it is never mentioned anywhere in the original document, or any amendments, or any statements by those who drafted anything in the Constitution. The Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, ruled that abortion is in the "penumbra" (shadowy area) of the Bill of Rights. First the Supreme Court had turned its back on God in the school prayer decision of ''Engel v. Vitale'' in 1962, and then it turned its back on the image of God by legalizing abortion in ''Roe v. Wade'' in 1973. | + | The Supreme Court stunned the country by declaring abortion to be a constitutional right on January 22, 1973, in the case of ''Roe v. Wade''. Even the woman "Jane Roe" in that case, whose real name is Norma McCorvey, now says the ruling was wrong and abortion is a mistake. But the Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution provides for a right to abortion even though it is never mentioned anywhere in the original document, or any amendments, or any statements by those who drafted anything in the Constitution. The Supreme Court, by a 7-2 vote, ruled that abortion is in the "penumbra" (shadowy area) of the Bill of Rights. First the Supreme Court had turned its back on God in the school prayer decision of ''Engel v. Vitale'' in 1962, and then it turned its back on the image of God by legalizing abortion in ''Roe v. Wade'' in 1973.<ref>''Roe v. Wade'' was unprecedented but did cite a decision from the Warren Court, ''Griswold v. Connecticut'' (1965).</ref> |
| | At the same time, this new breed of feminists was demanding passage of the so-called Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). It simply stated that: | | At the same time, this new breed of feminists was demanding passage of the so-called Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). It simply stated that: |
| | The defeat of ERA helped elect a conservative president, Ronald Reagan. In the one and only debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, held less than two weeks before the election, Jimmy Carter raised his support of the ERA at the end of the debate in his final attempt to embarrass Ronald Reagan, who opposed it.<ref>http://www.debates.org/pages/trans80b.html</ref> Reagan rebutted Carter's arguments and won the election in November 1980. | | The defeat of ERA helped elect a conservative president, Ronald Reagan. In the one and only debate between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, held less than two weeks before the election, Jimmy Carter raised his support of the ERA at the end of the debate in his final attempt to embarrass Ronald Reagan, who opposed it.<ref>http://www.debates.org/pages/trans80b.html</ref> Reagan rebutted Carter's arguments and won the election in November 1980. |