Eagle Forum First Vice President Reflects on the Life and Legacy of one of America’s Great Conservative Leaders
Statement of Eunie Smith on the Passing of Phyllis Schlafly:
“Today, Phyllis Schlafly has gone home to be with her Lord after a long illness. America has lost a great stateswoman, and we at Eagle Forum and among the conservative movement have lost a beloved friend and mentor, who taught and inspired so many to fight the good fight in defense of American values. I have personally lost a dear friend of over forty years.”
Known as the “sweetheart of the silent majority,” and the matriarch of the conservative movement, Phyllis Schlafly has been a visionary, a unifier, and a voice of conscience for more than six decades.
Phyllis has been credited with doing the impossible, when she and the army of grassroots volunteers she led and trained defeated the so-called Equal Rights Amendment, which had passed both houses of Congress and seemed destined for certain ratification among the states.
Also previously thought impossible, Phyllis not only brought together people of various faiths that historically worked separately, she brought these people of faith into the political process like never before, creating a crucial voting block of values voters.
Following the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment, many of the volunteers Phyllis trained became leaders in the organization that was named Eagle Forum. The name was inspired by Psalm 40:31, an encouragement to the battle weary that those who wait upon the Lord will “mount up with wings like eagles.”
Phyllis and her beloved “Eagles” are known for fighting tirelessly and for mobilizing political power for principle, not prestige or profit. For decades under Phyllis’ leadership, Eagle Forum has led the pro-family movement through such diverse and important battles as defending the unborn, defending traditional marriage, defending American workers from unfair trade and immigration policies, defending individual inventors from losing their intellectual property to large corporations, defending women from being drafted into military combat, defending full-time homemakers, defending conservatives and grassroots activists from establishment kingmakers, defending children from politicized public education defending American taxpayers from out-of-control federal spending and defending against threats to American exceptionalism.
There will never be another Phyllis Schlafly. Today is a day to celebrate her amazing legacy and to remember the profound difference she made in the conduct of American public policy. Thank you, Phyllis. We will not grow weary.”