In dealing with women's rights, the Supreme Court has consistently reflected the prevailing spirit of the times. In 1873, for instance, one Justice wrote avuncularly of "the natural and proper timidity and delicacy which belongs to the female sex." As late as 1961, Justice John Harlan held that "woman is still regarded as the center of home and family life," and therefore has "her own special responsibilities." But the climate has changed, and last week the court unanimously held, for the first time in its history, that a law was unconstitutional because of discrimination based on sex.
Mrs. Sally Reed of Boise,...
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