So, I’m leaving you, Virginia. Here’s how to carry on, and carry on!!!

Time for Me to Ramble On

When Alice Paul first introduced the ERA, this was the most popular phone in the US.

I’m sad about this, Virginia. Some very big changes are coming in my personal life this year. They’re all good changes, but require lots of my time and energy. My consort and I are going through carreer changes, and will likely move out of state. So, sigh…,  the smart thing to do is to step back from my position as ERA Coordinator — hopefully in time to show a new activist the ropes!!! (Could this be you? I’ll help you get your bearings, just drop by our website and apply.) Really, I would love to get someone in here doing this work!!!

Ratification is always a be-at-the-ready and time sensitive project, and I can’t promise to be available as needed in the next months.  But, know this: We are doing a great job!! The other day, I googled some information on the ERA and this blog came up as the #2 and #8 hits in the search!! Hurray, Virginia!!! We kick butt!!!

You, on the other hand, may well have the time and talent America’s women need on our side!!! If you do, just use that link up there to get in touch!!

How to Use this Blog in the Meantime

1. Remember, every delegate is up for re-election this fall. Please pay attention to emails/social media about VA NOW PAC’s candidate endorsements. We have a slate of very promising folks this year!!! Then, please, support those candidates as you can. We need a change of the guard in the GA.

2. Keep writing and contacting our legislators. For the summer, it’s Congress that matters. But, all of our state level public officials need to be nudged, and regularly. These older posts are good inspiration for that: Letter to Congress, Say It!! ERA YES!! (especially the bottom half), Docket (this one’s targeted to GOP who don’t support, scroll down). There’s more, but that’s a nice start.

3. Write letters to the editor. I cannot emphasize this enough. 96% of Americans believe that  men and women are equal before the law. 72% believe that equality is already guaranteed by the Constitution.They’re all wrong. This is true of Viriginia too. This is a gap we can close. This blog post is useful for that.

4. Draw from the Media & Messaging Page. I built that to be a longish term resource for all of us. Mix and match and make it your own!!! Combine with letters and idea from other posts. There’s lots of material here to use and reuse.

5. Use the Contact Congress & General Assembly Page to get in touch with our 2015 representatives. This page will be updated sometime after the fall election. I’ve been using the Congressional Directory and Virginia General Assembly Site (House // Senate) to get contact info for the site the emails I’ve sent you.

6. Encourage the legislators and candidates who support our issues, especially ratification. Call them, email them, elect and re-elect them.

7. Show your friends the work you do. Post your emails and letters to your Facebook, share them with people in every way. Once they see you do it, they’ll know they can do it. Nothing about this work should be kept private. This is not your hobby. This is a civil rights movement. Show the way. Use the hashtags at the right when you post on your own blogs, or Facebook, or Twitter, or Tumblr, even Instagram. Connect people to resources, tools. This blog.

8. Connect with the coalitions. From them you’ll get news about efforts in VA, but also in all the other un-ratified states and Congress. The ERA is a national issue, so on this point, yes, you need to meddle in the affairs of other states! Often! Loudly! Especially active are: ERA Action, ERA Coalition, ERA Education Project, Feminist Majority, People Demanding Action, Women Matter.

9. Keep and eye on our opponents. Not just the legislators, but the organizations. Watch out for ALEC, for the Koch Brothers, and for the Eagle Forum and Family Foundation — they’re still at it against the ERA.

Rinse. Repeat. Because I can promise you this: the fact of a woman in the White House will not necessarily mean that we’ll get our ERA. We’ve seen what obstructionism can do. We know we’ll need to do more than just get some Ovaries in the Oval Office.

Basically, you have to keep on it.

This chain, and women used it and its like, shut the Morman Temple in MD, the Republican National Committee headquarters , and closed Pennsylvania Avenue. For the ERA.

There’s a reason Geico and Progressive and Farmers Insurance run an ad every hour, every day, in serveral markets at a time. Repetition works. Repetition counts. Repetition gets into people’s heads. Sadly for grassroots activists, this is the only way, and it is labor intensive. But, it is the only way. The only way to get especially the opposition to listen to us and our friends is to be the constant buzz in their ear.

Get it?  😉

Make sure you place those letters to the editor in their districts as well as your own.

Bring the pressure. Anti-woman and
anti-feminist politicians will respond to nothing else.

We’re not alone. Efforts are gearing up nation wide. CNN gave ratification some awesom coverage in this 3 part series: The New Women Warriors. The new generation is taking up this banner. Let’s go!!!

It’s been a lot of excellent and joyful work running this online campaign to ratify the ERA with you. It’s my fervent hope that you will carry on in my absence. You are inspirations. Now, go spread that goodness around!!! Women belong in the Constitution!!!!

For women! Carry on!
Simone Roberts
Virginia NOW Historian

Tagged: #DemandERA, #RatifyERA, #VAyesERA, Alliance, BetterTogether, Civil Rights, Direct Advocacy, Equal Rights Amendment, Equality, ERA, ERAMonday, Feminism, General Assembly, Illinois State Constitution, Intersectional Feminism, LetsRatifyERA, Social Media, VA4ERA, Virginia, Virginia NOW, Virginia Women's Equality Coalition, VirginiaNOW, WeDemandERA, WomensRights