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CLAUDIA HAMPSTON: In her presentation, Irene Scott refuted myths surrounding the passage of the amendment on a point by point basis. There are a lot of wild tales about its potential effects, she said. But by far, the most pervasive are these.

IRENE SCOTT: The answer that I heard most frequently was that it will destroy the family. It will cause rape to not be a crime in this country anymore. And we will all have to use the same toilet. I must admit that I was a little astounded because I was not aware that the only thing that held the family together in this country was the force of law. If the only thing that holds a family together as a group is law, then we are, as a country, in real trouble indeed.

CLAUDIA HAMPSTON: What the amendment will actually do, Scott stated, is rectify imbalances in present law and procedures. She used this example of inadequacy in the Social Security System.

IRENE SCOTT: It startled me to find that in this country, there are 7.5 million single women over 65 who are collecting Social Security. Half of that number have annual gross incomes of $1,888 a year on which they're surviving, not living, surviving.

How does this come about, why does it happen? It happens because, first of all, women have been underpaid. Women who work earn $3 for every $5 that men earn. So that their base pay for Social Security is smaller, their work life is shorter. But it doesn't mean that it's less important insofar as their contribution to our society is concerned.

CLAUDIA HAMPSTON: Progress toward equality in Minnesota, however hard the struggle, looked pretty good to Mary Sfasciotti, a regional attorney with Equal Opportunity Employment Commission in Chicago. She has testified four times on ERA, before the Illinois legislature, finding that each time, the opposition mounted.

MARY SFASCIOTTI: The Minnesotans have more sense. They just simply have more sense. In Wisconsin, I was born with sense. I go to Illinois and I nearly lose my mind.

[LAUGHTER]

I grew up with the fundamental basic proposition that I was no different than my fellow man, that I had every right to go to law school. I had every right to become a lawyer. I was just as bright as the next person. And that I wanted to give something to my society. And in my life, each step of the way has been one enormous obstacle. And I say I have come this far in my life, as Irene has come this far in hers, only to be confronted by integrated bathrooms. It's an insult to my intelligence.

CLAUDIA HAMPSTON: Recent changes in state and federal statutes give women some edge they haven't had before, Sfasciotti said. But these, in her opinion, are mere cosmetic surgery.

MARY SFASCIOTTI: The Equal Rights Amendment is the only vehicle to finally say to the judges, to the legislators-- and I understand you have some winners in this area.

[LAUGHTER]

[APPLAUSE]

And I will not guarantee that that particular gentleman is going to ever think straight. Short of a lobotomy, I don't know what will help him. But the Equal Rights amendment will make an impact that when the legislature decides to write a law, it's going to have to think twice. Because you see, people say, well, you're getting it now. Yes, we are, simply because the drum is beating. But should that drum ever stop beating, there is nothing to say that they couldn't change those laws right back to what they were again.

As quick as they are to correct some of the errors, they'd be just as quick tomorrow to change the whole situation back to what it was. The only thing that can save us is a constitutional amendment that puts it in writing, that irrevocably binds us to the proposition that all persons are created equally, that all persons have certain inalienable rights.

CLAUDIA HAMPSTON: Attorneys Scott and Sfasciotti came to Duluth under the auspices of a coalition of pro-ERA women's groups. Some of the audience members had also been present a few weeks ago when Senator Florian Chmielewski presented his anti-ERA position to a group of Catholic women. I'm Claudia Hampston, in Duluth.