 "Photo: AP")
Equal is equal, and fair is fair.
But, that doesn’t concern the Republican Party.
In a recent effort to secure equal pay for women, Democrats attempted to pass legislation closing loopholes in the 1963 Equal Pay Act.
The legislation’s aim was to force companies to explain how pay between male and female employees is due to job performances rather than gender differences.
Republicans argued the legislation was to overreaching and would benefit trial lawyers pursuing class action lawsuits and would do little for equality.
"This is just politics. This should be called the trial lawyers bonanza bill," said Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming, the top Republican on the Senate labor committee. "It has nothing to do with the women. They will get very little out of it. What it allows is huge class-action suits with very little defense by any employer."
While this argument may seem legitimate to some, it is just another way for the GOP to protect big business and ignore the middle class.
Companies that pay men more than women on the basis of gender should be subject to lawsuit. It is unfair and slows the progress of humanity.
This is not 1960.
We live in a time when people should be evaluated on how they contribute to society – not on their race, sex or gender.
If the legislation had passed, companies wouldn’t have had to fear trial lawyers if they practiced fair wage distribution.
With this defense by the Republicans, it seems to say it boiled down to their protection of companies that discriminate.
Trial lawyers would have no case in the first place if companies would pay workers on solely their employee’s merits.
Republicans didn’t even argue against the bill during senate meetings, they simply tossed it aside. There was only one republican senator, Dean Heller of Nevada, who spoke against the bill, but none voted for it.
It’s one thing for the Republicans to deny this bill, it is another for them to not listen or care, which is what it appears they did.
According to the GOP, they are just as concerned with equality as the Democrats. But, they have a difficult time showing it.
As a man, I have no problem with women making more than me, if they are better at their job or they have more experience. I should not make more money because of my gender.
How can we tell the children of America they can be anything they want and then allow companies to discriminate? That’s contradictory and unethical.
Since it is election year, this may benefit the Democrats in the long run, anyway.
This clear attempt to deny progress will hurt the GOP’s female vote. How can women vote for a party that refuses to fight for them?
To some, this is just a tactic by the Democrats to secure female votes. So what?
Our political leaders should pass legislation that reflects what the voters want; isn’t that why they’re our "representatives?"
Republicans always accuse Democrats of being "flip-flops" and changing their opinions on issues, and to an extent, they are right.
But, I don’t want someone in power who refuses to put the interests of the people first, which is what most Republicans do.
Elected officials are not in power so they can pass legislation that benefits them. They should have their constituents in mind at all times.
Women are more prevalent than ever, and they must be represented and protected.
While the old saying goes "this is a man’s world," we must realize that it is "our" world, and we must be represented and protected equally within it.