Did you have a good time at the parades yesterday? Hear inspiring speeches? Grow tired of the television coverage?

What? Your community didn't celebrate Women's Equality Day?

Neither did mine. August 26 is the most important date in women's history in this country, for it was on that date that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which gives women the right to vote, became law. Prior to ratification, women were harrassed, arrested, and tortured when they tried to obtain one of the most basic civil rights in the nation. The worst treatment occurred under the administration of Woodrow Wilson, who--after the courts put a stop to the arrests--suddenly declared himself a supporter of women's rights.

In the1970's, when the Second Wave of feminism was at its peak, it was common to celebrate August 26, but now, it is almost completely overlooked, which says a lot about our attitude toward both history and women's rights.

Virginia Slims cigarettes used to have a Second Wave slogan, "You've come a long way, Baby." Now, that distance doesn't really seem so far. Look at the makeup of the U.S. Congress in comparison with the general population. Or look at the management of Fortune 500 companies. There is still a significant pay gap between men and women in America, sexual harrassment persists in the workplace and at schools, and not many months ago, the people of California rewarded an unindicted sex criminal with the governorship of their state.

This is a country that does not like to remember our history. Last night, there was a feature on NBC about women in the Olympics, with emphasis on the participation of women from Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is indeed a wonderful story, but it was marred at the end by a little cheerleading editorial about how much we have to be thankful for because American women athletes have been able to participate in the Olympics for many generations.

That may be literally true, but the writer left out most of the salient facts: That female athletes in America had to endure being made fun of, called "unfeminine" and "unnatural," that they were all assumed to be homosexual (which is, of course, an insult in our culture), that they were not allowed to participate in many athletic events because participation would "harm their delicate bodies," and don't forget this one--that they shouldn't be compensated fairly for their efforts.

It is only because of Title IX and the courage of women like Billie Jean King that American women can compete in athletics they way they now do. It took government intervention and radical behavior for us to have this "tradition"--it was by no means the will of the American people.