Sad day.

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• Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whom the AP described on Saturday as “a diminutive yet towering women’s rights champion,” died Friday after a lengthy battle with cancer.  Ginsburg was appointed to the court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton after an amazing legal career that included arguing six key women’s rights cases before the court. She was the subject of a well-regarded documentary and, earlier, an opera about her friendship with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, her political opposite and close friend. The two shared a passion for opera. Scalia died in 2016.

After graduating at the top of her Columbia Law School class in 1959, Ginsburg was unable to find a job as an attorney due to what she said were “three strikes” against her — Jewish, female, and a mother. Her involvement in Women’s Rights cases was born of expediency — as an attorney working in a time when gender discrimination in her field was widespread and widely accepted. As a volunteer and then employee of the ACLU beginning in the early 70s, Ginsburg played a part in 34 Supreme Court cases and won five of the six cases she argued before the Court. Sometimes she represented men who were experiencing gender discrimination. As a young teenager at the time, my life today is far different because of her work. Who knows what doors were open to me because of her?

In the 25 years since she joined the Court, Ginsburg became an increasingly outspoken leader among its dwindling liberal wing. It was reported that her “dying wish” was that the vacancy left by her death not be filled until after the election. This precedent was set after Scalia’s death, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to allow hearings on Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to take his place. But good luck making that happen this time. Clearly it was a political decision in 2016 and it is a political decision today.

Even those politicians and judges on the other side of the political spectrum were complimenting Ginsburg’s dedication, intelligence and wisdom today. Trump sounded downright presidential talking about her. Approval of a Supreme Court Justice requires a simple majority and there are 53 Republicans. A few have indicated they might oppose pushing someone through, but Trump insists they must move quickly to approve his nominee. I’m guessing they are waiting to see what deal is offered for their support. Isn’t there ONE elected official who thinks about what's good for the country instead of how to stick it to the other party? It doesn’t look that way. 

Sources:

Romero, A.D. (Sept. 19, 2020). In Memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 1922-2020. ACLU News & Commentary. https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/in-memory-of-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-1933-2020

Sherman, M. (Sept 19, 2020). Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies at 87. Downloaded from https://apnews.com/bf6704fa6e900967a705054c801a5495

PHOTO: From the Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States, Photographer: Steve Petteway / Public domain