How old is phyllis schlafly

Along with her husband, Schlafly helped to found a Catholic group called Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation—an organization that counted members of the John Birch Society among its ranks —to organize against the ideology. She wrote books about foreign policy with Rear Admiral Chester Ward, and she published a pamphlet with an anti-Communist reading list titled "Inside the Communist Conspiracy," which claimed to outline how "American failure to grasp the fact that we are already engaged in a total war with the Communists.

Schlafly became a subject of national discussion through during Barry Goldwater's presidential run—a hard-right campaign she wholeheartedly supported. Her self-published book, A Choice Not an Echo , a populist treatise that explicitly supported her chosen candidate, became something of a sensation, selling over three million copies—despite being panned by critics as conspiracy-minded and inaccurate.

While Goldwater lost, the conservative coalition that Schlafly helped inspire would later usher in the Reagan revolution. In the words of conservative theorist Paul Weyrich, she "dressed up the conservative movement for success at a time when absolutely no one thought we could win.

Even as she was traveling across the country to lobby leaders, organize her coalition, give speeches—and, at one point, simultaneously pursue a law degree—Schlafly dismissed her political career as a "hobby," a secondary pursuit to her obligations at home with her six children.

There was always someone outside willing to take care of a baby rather than listen to a long lecture. Speaking to NPR in , she noted, "My husband was very supportive.

I told the feminists the only person's permission I had to get was my husband's. This was especially frustrating to feminists, who believed that Schlafly was living a liberated life while campaigning against liberation. When she first heard the Equal Rights Amendment being debated in Congress, she told her biographer Carol Felsenthal, Schlafly thought of it as "something between innocuous and mildly helpful. She tapped into the network of women she'd built while distributing A Choice Not an Echo and her newsletter, the Phyllis Schlafly Report , and grew it substantially.

The political firebrand took it upon herself to teach these women how to affect change. Her ranks grew substantially after the Supreme Court legalized abortion in with Roe v. Wade—a landmark ruling that spurred a political awakening for some anti-abortion Catholic and evangelical women. With Schlafly's help, the ERA went from a largely symbolic, bipartisan piece of legislation to a political lightning rod.

In , the year she began her crusade, 30 states had ratified the amendment. By , the ERA remained three states short of the 38 needed to enshrine it in the constitution—meaning that, despite an extension, the amendment failed to pass by the arbitrary deadline set by Congress. The conservative activist persuaded like-minded Americans to join her side by trotting out a familiar lineup of "family values" arguments: the supposedly terrifying prospect of unisex bathrooms and the importance of maintaining gender roles.

Schlafly convinced women that feminists hated their way of life "I think the main goal of the feminist movement was the status degradation of the full-time homemaker," she'd later say. It also helped her cause that it was unclear if the ERA's passage would have required women to sign up for the draft some feminist groups fought to exclude an exemption to this from the amendment , a prospect that many balked at.

She lead both from behind the scenes growing her Eagle Forum into a national organization and in front of the camera publicly debating prominent feminists on the merits of the ERA. In one particularly memorable debate, Feminist Mystique author Betty Friedan lashed out at Schlafly with an oft-cited insult.

I consider you an Aunt Tom. The book helped Goldwater secure the nomination in , despite opposition from many party leaders. There was uncertainty about what the ERA would achieve, but some homemakers genuinely feared it. Several characters, including Alice, express concern over the ramifications of the ERA, worrying that their daughters would get drafted or their husbands could sue them for alimony.

You have skills. These conversations accurately reflect the fears many women had about the ERA. Whether their fears were justified is another matter, Spruill explained. The idea that they would be forced out into the job market to compete with men was genuinely frightening for them. But of course the Equal Rights Amendment was not going to force them out into the job market.

Her husband, Fred John Slattery , discourages her from a third run for Congress because he is concerned about her being away from home. Meredith Blake is an entertainment reporter for the Los Angeles Times based out of New York City, where she primarily covers television.

A native of Bethlehem, Pa. Adult Swim Fest thrives by blurring the line between virtual and reality. All Sections. Moderate Republicans were eager to gain control of the party to ensure presidential victory in As part of their plan, Phyllis was pushed out of her leadership role at the National Federation of Republican Women. Through this publication, she shared her views and encouraged conservative Republicans to take action and resist more moderate leadership.

By the early s, she had over 35, subscribers. Feminists celebrated this as a huge victory. Phyllis saw the amendment as a tremendous threat to conservative America and its values. Phyllis believed that American women enjoyed a privileged position.

She was grateful that Americans valued the natural differences between men and women. She pointed out how women in communist countries like the USSR had gender equality. But such equality meant more working mothers and more children in government-provided childcare. Women are different from men. Men are philosophers, women are practical. In reality, Phyllis was so busy fighting against the ERA that she was rarely home herself.

She claimed to be a typical housewife, but her schedule was anything but typical. Phyllis was incredibly busy organizing meetings, rallies, and speeches. She also regularly appeared on television to debate ERA supporters.

Phyllis infuriated ERA supporters and feminists. Her arguments and perspective went against everything that they believed to be true. She regularly insulted them in her writings and interviews, which encouraged them to insult her right back. At times, they criticized her as inexperienced and unprofessional. She graduated with a law degree in Through the Eagle Forum, Phyllis expanded her messaging beyond opposition to the ERA, including issues around education, national defense, and nuclear arms.

The participants at the national conference would create and approve a plan for policies regarding women. Phyllis hated the entire idea of the IWY Commission. She believed that both President Ford and President Carter appointed liberals to the commission. She quickly mobilized conservative women to participate in the state conferences. Her hope was to stop any liberal agenda items from reaching the national conference. Conservative women made their voices heard at the state conferences.

At times, arguments became heated. In some cases, physical fights erupted between feminists and anti-feminists. Phyllis and her colleagues organized their own event to counter the conference. Nearly 20, men, women, and children participated. Almost all of them where white. The Pro-Life, Pro-Family rally included speeches, prayers, and music.

The rally provided critical momentum for conservatives. Although he promised to take action quickly, conservative activists resisted his efforts.