One Woman Can Make a Difference

The death of Phyllis Schlafly at the age of 92 is a good time to remember that one woman can make a remarkable difference.

I worked with Phyllis on a number of initiatives -- including right to life, the defeat of Communism, and getting power out of Washington.

Phyllis Schlafly was not only positive and cheerful but also very tough and determined.

She was endlessly energetic. Each setback was an opportunity to start over. Each obstacle was an opportunity to learn.

Phyllis graduated from Washington University at 19. A year later she earned her Master's degree in political science from Radcliffe.

Married at 25, Mrs. Schlafly raised six children. She taught every child to read before they went to school (something I experienced with my Grandmother Daugherty).

While raising six children Phyllis Schlafly ran for Congress twice. She lost in 1952 and again in 1979. Her life would have been very different if she had won. And she might not have had as big of an impact as a citizen leader.

Like Ronald Reagan, Phyllis Schlafly became very worried about the threat of Communism. She helped organize 5,000 study groups around the country to examine its threats. We could certainly use a Phyllis Schlafly today to take on the radical left!

Politically, Phyllis Schlafly was elected as an alternate delegate to four Republican National Conventions and as a delegate to eight more – representing 48 years of activism at the national level. In that time, she was a key leader in getting a pro-life plank adopted by the GOP and ultimately making the GOP an overwhelmingly pro-life party.

Mrs. Schlafly came to national prominence as the author of A Choice, Not an Echo, a vivid and biting defense of Barry Goldwater and the modern conservative movement. The book became a bestseller during the 1964 presidential race and made her a widely recognized spokeswoman for conservative causes.

Eight years later, in 1972, Phyllis Schlafly founded the Eagle Forum, a women's conservative activist group. Today, 44 years later, Eagle Forum has 20,000 activists in 44 states. It has taken Schlafly's pro-family, pro-life message across the country and into the halls of state legislatures and Congress.

Phyllis Schlafly's most amazing achievement was the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment.

The ERA was a major project of the establishment. Introduced in 1923, it represented the establishment interpretation of women's rights. By 1972, after 49 years of effort, the ERA passed the Congress. However, Schlafly and other conservatives argued that it was in fact anti-female in that it would eliminate widow benefits from Social Security and special benefits for stay at home mothers. Schlafly believed families in general and mothers in particular needed special advantages and protections.

Given the collapse of families and the increasing number of children growing up without fathers there may be more to Schlafly's worries than liberals want to concede.

When she began the ERA fight it was enormously uphill. ERA had passed both houses of Congress by huge majorities. It was supported by three Presidents, all 50 Governors, virtually all of the news media, the entertainment community, and the majority of wealthy America. Being pro ERA was the “in thing” when she started her fight in 1972. By 1982, her grassroots, populist effort (in many ways the forerunner of today’s conservative populists) had defeated the ERA.

In the middle of this nationwide grassroots campaign, Schlafly earned her law degree at Washington University Law School in 1978. As a mother, student, and national leader, Phyllis Schlafly was a very industrious and impressive woman.

In the role she cherished most, mother, Mrs. Schlafly was very blessed. She is survived by 6 children, 16 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren.

If someone tells you they can't accomplish anything, suggest they look into the life of Phyllis Schlafly. She was an American original. Her courage, energy, and work ethic exemplify the best of America.

Your Friend,
Newt