RBG Tribute
RBG Legacy
Like so many Americans, I was devastated to learn of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s passing on September 18th. She was an important person to me, not only for her legacy of equality and fairness but for the grace in which she fought for that legacy. Always the humble civil servant, she remained true to her own unique style, wearing lace collars over her judicial robes, and embracing her young fan’s comparison of her to the late rapper Notorious BIG. Only the second woman ever confirmed to the Supreme Court, RBG elevated issues that had never been addressed in such a public fashion to the highest court of all. Disability rights, gender discrimination, voter protection, and so many other worthy causes will be forever indebted to this class act lawyer. The nation feels darker without this tiny woman’s light defending our rights from those who seek to divide us.
A True Inspiration
What inspired me most about Justice Ginsberg’s life was her work ethic, her strength, and her determination. Watching the 2018 documentary film RBG, I was blown away by the hurdles this woman jumped through to take care of her family and get an education all at the same time! Despite no one doing her any favors, she persevered and got her degree on time while nursing her husband back to health and raising their two children. One of nine females in a class of 500 law students, she would not let the men in her life shut her out of the conversation, let alone law school. I cannot imagine being up against that many odds and succeeding in the twenty-first century. Ruth did it all and then some during the 1950’s.
Friendly to All
The other most striking characteristic about our late Justice was the bipartisan relationships she was able to maintain throughout her career. Even while writing one of the most controversial Supreme Court dissents of all time in the 2000 case Bush v. Gore, she still spent New Year’s Eve with staunch conservative Justice Antonin Scalia who passed away in 2016. Their friendship began in the 1980’s and continued throughout their respective lives with them attending operas together, vacationing with each other’s families, and bonding over their shared New York roots. If these two icons could put aside ideological differences to enjoy one another’s company, intelligence, and shared interests, why can’t we all?
Rest in Power
I find it very troubling the debate our country is having right now about whether or not to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett before the election. After all, Justice Ginsberg’s dying words were, “My most fervent wish is that I not be replaced until a new president is installed.” This wish follows the precedent set by President Abraham Lincoln when a similar situation arose before his reelection in 1864. To confirm Justice Barrett before November 3rd would be a partisan afront to Ruth’s memory, go completely against precedent, and would widen the already deepening chasms this country is fighting to mend. Rest in power RBG. And let us hope our leaders honor the legacy you gave your life for.
