Schlafly was a fixture on America’s political right for more than four decades, steady in her opposition to abortion, bilingual education, efforts at detente with Cold War enemies, “supremacist judges”, United Nations treaties, free trade and guest-worker immigration programs.
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Her first book, 1964’s A Choice Not An Echo, was a best seller and credited with pushing the Republican Party into the modern conservative movement.
“America has lost a national treasure and conservative icon”. “In fact, Schlafly is one of the most accomplished and influential people in America”.
The House approved the amendment in October 1971, the Senate five months later. Her joy in life was evident to all through her smile and wit. “I was honored to spend time with her during this campaign”. A pie was smashed into her face, pig’s blood was thrown on her, and feminist Betty Friedan once told Mrs. Schlafly: “I’d like to burn you at the stake”. The ERA was ratified by 35 states, including California, before its ratification deadline in 1982.
Schlafly’s work against the ERA “essentially launched the pro-family, pro-life movement”, said James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, according to a 2005 story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Among the decorations in Schlafly’s office were a chunk of the Berlin Wall, a “Doonesbury” cartoon mocking her and a necktie from Ronald Reagan, who was her favorite president in her lifetime.
Schlafly’s critics liked to point out that being editor of a monthly newsletter, author of more than 20 books and a regular public speaker didn’t exactly fit the self-described housewife’s stated view that women’s roles were as full-time mothers and wives.
Schlafly at a Trump rally in March.
After excelling at Sacred Heart Academy in St. Charles, Missouri, Schlafly turned down a scholarship to a local Catholic college and enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis.
She worked nights at an ammunition plant as she earned her bachelor of arts degree in 1944 as a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.
She spent a year in Washington working at the think tank that today is the American Enterprise Institute. She also argued that it would lead to same-sex marriage and government funding for abortions, both of which she fiercely opposed, despite having a gay son.
Famed non-feminist Phyllis Schlafly died Monday at the age of 92. She lost the election.
She became politically active during the war years, and ran for Congress in downstate IL in 1952.
In 2008, she endorsed John McCain for president. Barry Goldwater earn the 1964 GOP nomination.
“There will never be another Phyllis Schlafly”.
Her death was confirmed by the Eagle Forum, the conservative group she founded.
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“I do submit to you though, that any man who [among other things] had done effective and brilliant political, policy and organizational work within the party; had published widely, including nine books; was instrumental in stopping a major social initiative to amend the Constitution just short of a victory dead in its tracks and had a handsome, accomplished family – any man like that would have a place in the current administration”, Ms. MacKinnon said, according to the transcript of her remarks in her own book, “Feminism Unbound”.
