RIP: Remembering The Notorious RBG

RIP: Remembering The Notorious RBG

By Anna Hessel

A Woman of Substance

This weekend the Jewish community celebrates Rosh Hashanah. It is the dawn of a new year. Truthfully, 2020 cannot end soon enough for me. Sadly, the loss of yet another icon marks this holiday as bittersweet.  Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died at 87.  So many giants in the struggle for social justice have died this year.  Justice Ginsburg stood emphatically for equal rights; her mother told her to be a lady, which meant being your own independent person.  She believed any state that controls a woman’s right to choose meant the denial of her full autonomy and full equality.  Ms. Ginsburg was convinced that it is essential for women to be decision makers. Having the responsibility of bringing up the next generation, it is imperative that women have control.

Appointments

With her unique beauty and  attractive style complete with black horn rim glasses she drew attention. This petite powerhouse has been featured in a number of lifestyle publications, such as Cosmopolitan, Mental Floss, Marie Claire, Town & Country, and Elle.  Concerts have been dedicated to her, and two films have been made about her life.  Jimmy Carter picked her for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Ms. Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton.  I remember it well, for she was sworn in on the date of my second wedding anniversary – August 10th of that year.  Justice Ginsburg emphatically believed women belonged in all places where decisions are being made.  Her most fervent dying wish was to not be replaced until a new president is installed.  I will honor her memory with a vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Starting Out

It was unusual for women of her generation to study the law. Young ladies that grew up in the 1940’s were more concerned with a Mrs. rather than a B.A.  Ruth, however, set out to change the world for the better, and she certainly has.  She was born Joan Ruth Bader in Brooklyn, New York, on March 15th, 1933. I am honored to have a birthday only five days away from this empowered and empowering female.

Family 

Her higher education began at the tender age of 17 at Cornell University. It was at Cornell that she met future husband Martin D. Ginsburg.  Both of them eventually went on to practice law.  A month after her graduation with a B.A. in government, she married Mr. Ginsburg. They had  two children, Jane and James.  Jane went on to follow in her mother’s footsteps, teaching at Columbia Law School,. James is founder and president of Cedille Records, a classical music recording company based in Chicago.

Moving Forward

When she was only 21, while employed at a Social Security Administration office in Oklahoma, she received a demotion due to her pregnancy.   Ms. Bader Ginsburg became one of the nine women in a class of approximately 500 at Harvard Law in 1956.  When Martin started a job in New York City, she then transferred to Columbia’s Law School, from which she graduated in 1959, sharing the honor of first in their class with another student.

Taking Her Case to a Higher Court

Feeling that often some of her greatest accomplishments were not what she was paid to do, but having a proclivity for justice, Ms. Ginsburg volunteered as a litigator for the ACLU.  In the 70’s she became one of its general counsels, as well as served as a director on their board. Tirelessly fighting for the rights of women, during the 1970’s Ruth argued six cases herself before the Supreme Court.  Her idea that a woman must control her own destiny was far ahead of her time.  Her lifetime of public service championed the ideal of justice for all.

Making The Best Of It

In 2012, she said, “Yet what greater defeat could we suffer than to come to resemble the forces we oppose in their disrespect for human dignity.”  Justice Ginsburg always practiced what she preached, never backing down from her convictions.  In that same year, she was quoted as saying, “I tell law students…if you are going to be a lawyer, and just practice your profession, you have a skill – very much like a plumber.  But if you want to be a true professional, you will do something outside yourself…something that makes life a little better for people less fortunate than you.”  Ruth said at another time, “So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune.”

“When There Are Nine”

In 2015 when she was asked when there will be enough women justices in the Supreme Court, characteristically she answered, “When there are nine”.  Believing that women should not be the exception but the rule, Justice Ginsburg responded to those that were shocked at her response that there should be nine female justices, by simply pointing out there were nine male justices and no one ever questioned that.  In 2019, Sam Adams created a limited-run brew named after her quip in her honor.  I will gladly raise my glass to this tremendous woman.

On The Basis Of Sex

Ms. Ginsburg spent her life in the pursuit of equal justice for all in everything.  “If you’re a boy, and you like teaching, you like nursing, you would like to have a doll, that’s OK…we should each be free to develop our own talents, whatever they may be, and not be held back by artificial barriers.”  And she also said along these same lines, “We should not be held back from pursuing our full talents, from contributing what we could contribute to the society, because we fit into a certain mold – because we belong to a group that historically has been the object of discrimination.”

Drop A Curtain

Ruth spoke often of gender discrimination: “I think unconscious bias is one of the hardest things to get at.  My favorite example is the symphony orchestra.  When I was growing up, there were no women in orchestras.  Auditioners thought they could tell the difference between a woman playing and a man.  Some intelligent person devised a simple solution: drop a curtain between the auditioners and the people trying out.  And, lo and behold, women began to get jobs in symphony orchestras.”  Speaking eloquently in the same vein, she also commented, “A gender line…helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage.”

In Her Opinion

Her legal opinions were equally as convincing as they were proverbial: “Just as buildings in California have a greater need to be earthquake-proofed, places where there are greater racial polarization in voting have a greater need for prophylactic measures to prevent purposeful race discrimination.”  Another of her musings: “Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and it is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”

Writing Opinions

Justice Ginsburg wrote the majority opinions in many significant decisions, such as Olmstead v. L.C. on the rights of the mentally disabled; Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Environmental Services, Inc. in regards to a group of concerned citizens ability to bring suit, even when the offense alleged was in the past, and United States v. Virginia, which reversed the policy of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) to admit only men.

In Loving Tribute

Ms. Ginsburg was an excellent role model. The “Notorious RBG” will be missed by so very many, including noted admirers Barack and Michele Obama, Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, Barbara Streisand, Cher, Brad Schneider, Kevin Newsome, Tom Cotton, Brie Larson, Justin Trudeau, Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, Bill and Melinda Gates, Michael Moore, Mitt Romney, Rand Paul, Mark Kelly, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Mike Pompeo, to name just a few.  Senator Cory Booker referred to Ruth as, “a true soldier for justice for women’s rights – may her memory be a blessing to us all”.

An American Hero

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said she considers the loss of the renowned jurist to be devastating: “Justice Ginsburg embodied justice, brilliance and goodness…Every family in America benefited from her brilliant legacy and courage.”  Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton thanked her for paving the way for women.  Former Vice President Joe Biden referred to her as a beloved figure, a giant of the legal profession, and someone that, “stood for us all”.   Our Democratic nominee for President went on to call her an American hero and say she, “never failed in the fierce and unflinching defense of liberty and freedom…May her memory be a blessing to all people who cherish our Constitution and its promise.”   Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts referred to Ruth as a cherished colleague, “a jurist of historic stature…a tireless and resolute champion of justice”.

You Can Quote Me

Justice Ginsburg was a woman of peace and compassion: “Reacting in anger or annoyance will not advance one’s ability to persuade”.  Her commentary on harsh speech was, “When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune out.”  Never stopping her pursuit to better our nation, she said, “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”  Her tenacious personality was full of sass and wit.  “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

And I Quote…

She cared deeply about everyone, no matter their station in life. In regards to abortion and birth control RBG said, “There’s a sorry situation in the United States, which is essentially that poor women don’t have choice.  Women of means do.”

Hearing Loss

Ruth was full of love.  She spent a lifetime devoted to empathy and humanity.  Ruth had a strong love of family.  “If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his. I think that made all the difference for me.  In every good marriage, it helps sometimes to be a little deaf.”   “In the course of a marriage, one accommodates the other.”  Speaking more words of wisdom, she also said,  “Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment.  These just zap energy and waste time,” and, “You can disagree without being disagreeable.”

RIP, RBG

RBG taught at both Rutgers’ and Columbia’s law schools. She was, ”a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.”  With a belief in the importance of being well read, Ruth Bader Ginsburg encouraged others to gain knowledge through the written word.  “Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life.  Reading shaped my dreams, and more reading helped me make my dreams come true.”  Justice Ginsburg chose to be remembered as a person that used whatever talent she had to accomplish, “her work to the very best of her ability.”  Remembering her in this way will be easy, as she did everything with excellence and vigor.  Deeply respected by both the public and her colleagues, her legacy lives on forever.  Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, may you rest in peace, power, and passion.

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3 Comments

  1. Wonderful tribute for a remarkable, highly esteemed woman. May RBG, Rest In eternal Peace.

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