The 19th amendment to the Constitution, the one that gave women the right to vote, was passed on June 4th 1919. On this 102nd anniversary we still have not added the 28th amendment, the amendment that will give women equality of rights under the law.
75% of US citizens favor this amendment according to a recent poll by the Associated Press Center for Public Affairs. This includes a majority of both Republicans and Democrats. And yet our representative in the general assembly, John Maguire, voted against ratifying it. Fortunately, it passed last year without his vote and Virginia became the 38th state to say yes.
Why did he vote against it?
Some say that women already have equal rights and that it’s already in some state constitutions. But states can change their constitutions. We need to make equality permanent. My mother remembers when women could not have a credit card in their own name, could not serve on a jury, and were denied many other things we consider unthinkable now. We don’t want to risk returning to those days.
So what’s the real reason? Does he not think women should have equal rights?
Fortunately we have a choice this November and can vote for Blakely Lockhart to represent the 56th district in Richmond. Her votes will represent the views of most of her constituents rather than the dictates of an extremist ideology.
Thank you,
Sara Macel
Louisa
This letter was previously published in the Central Virginian newspaper and is reprinted here with the author’s permission