Phyllis Schlafly

Phyllis Schlafly has been driving feminists nuts for decades now - ever since she helped to defeat the Equal Rights Amendment back in the 1970's. Now she's got a new book out called The Supremacists: The Tyranny of Judges and How to Stop It.

SCOTUSBlog has posted a two-part interview with Mrs. Schlafly, which can be read here and here.

Sclafly has lots to say about the judiciary's assault on the Constitution, of course, but I thought her insights into the nature and goals of modern feminism were particularly interesting. Here are a few excerpts:

Q: When Justice O'Connor became the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court, do you feel it becomes her obligation to work for a society that is more equitable to her gender?

A: This question makes two false assumptions: that women are disadvantaged in America, and that women are best able to address and remedy these disadvantages. Both propositions are absurd. All jobs that women want are open to women, and nearly 60% of college students are women.

I don't think any Justice should be biased in favor of his or her own personal characteristics. Should a short Justice "work for" people who are short? Should an elderly Justice "work for" the elderly? Should a fat umpire "work for" players who are fat? Of course not. Such an approach should disqualify Justices from their obligation to impart justice fairly to all, like an umpire.

Q: So is there a difference between working for gender equality and "fostering feminism"?

A: This question seems to assume that feminism fosters gender equality, which is not true.

"Feminism" is a peculiar ideology that has almost nothing to do with the kind of gender equality that the American people support. (Remember, the federal equal pay for equal work statute was passed in 1963 before the feminist movement started.) Feminist ideology is based on victimology, the false claim that American women are oppressed by our patriarchal society. The truth is that American women are the most fortunate class of people who ever lived on the face of the earth.

The top priorities of the feminist agenda have little to do with gender equality: abortion, same-sex marriage, affirmative action for women, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and rape awareness. Feminism insists on placing women soldiers in military combat where they can be captured by the enemy and abused as prisoners of war. Feminism is responsible for eliminating over 170 college wrestling teams because they are somehow too masculine and they don't like the gender difference that more boys like to play competitive sports than girls. Just this fall, in a high-profile debate with Justice Scalia, ACLU President Nadine Strossen stated on October 15 that the ACLU supports a constitutional right to polygamy, a practice that is totally demeaning and harmful to women.

If feminism were about women's achievement (which it is not), their heroines would be Margaret Thatcher and Condeleezza Rice, but the feminists are totally silent about them.

Phyllis Schlafly - telling it like it is, as always. She's far too modest to do it, but I think she should add one more name to that short list of modern heroines - her own.