To the editor:

Re: David Shribman's piece on women's rights pronouncements, Daily News, July 4, "Declaration of July 1848 pronounced woman equal to man." Sorry, hundreds of "pronouncements" would not make that headline correct. In fact, though Mr. Shribman implies so wrongly that achieving the right to vote gave us women equality.

Others, usually males, like to state the same of the 14th Amendment, which is a men-only amendment (see the second section if you don't believe me).

Nothing, but nothing except the passage of the long overdue Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would codify equal treatment of the sexes incontestably. Neither laws nor state constitutions nor the 14th Amendment written in 1868 when women, slaves and children were known as possessions of men presently so prescribe equality for women. Men need it in writing, too. Think fairer child custody arrangements, draft issues, immigration and consensual teenage sex. Women still are paid only an average of 78 percent of the male's wages for the same job, putting one of seven elderly women in poverty.

Not so hot, right? Especially when one considers that all nations since WWII have an ERA. And that nearly three-quarters of the states are still waiting for the three remaining unratified states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment: "Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State according to sex (gender, in today's parlance).

All are welcomed to our Web site, www.RatifyERAflorida.net, if you'd like to see how one state is taking it to the legislature successfully. Pitch in. This amendment is woefully needed, especially now, when women are increasingly the heads of families now that the man has lost his better paying job.

sandy oestreich

Founder/president, Equal Rights Alliance, Inc.

St. Petersburg, Fla.