This year has been rough. I think to myself on a daily basis, "could it get any worse?" Unfortunately, I got the answer to my question this Friday, as I heard the news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing. It didn't feel real. To myself, and most other women, she seemed invincible. As reality slowly settles in, the sadness of her death shifts to fear of the unknown. Ruth, what will we do without you?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, feminist icon, was the second female Supreme Court Justice. She pioneered the Women's Rights Project for the ACLU in the '70s and continued to fight for gender equality and women's rights during her time in the Supreme Court. She was a strong advocate for women her entire life, and made strides in gender equality in her 27 years as a US Supreme Court Justice. She was considered a moderate liberal within the court and was a strong proponent for human rights and separation of church and state. Ginsburg set so many precedents for women and we would not be in the same place today if it weren't for her. Now that she's gone, what can we expect to happen in the future?
"People ask me sometimes... 'When will there be enough women on the court?' And my answer is, 'When there are nine.' People are shocked, but there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that." - Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2015
While RBG cannot be replaced in our hearts, she has to be replaced in the courts. According to NPR, "Ginsburg's death will have profound consequences for the court and the country." Her liberal influence is now gone, and Republicans will have more power if President Trump appoints another justice. Mitch McConnell does not intend to hold Trump to the same rules that he held Obama to when a judge needed to be appointed back in 2016. In order to fill the spot with a conservative, he and his team are rushing to get the process going. Ginsburg saw this coming and was aiming to stick around as long as possible. Nature took a different course.
RBG's absence is a threat to women's rights, gender equality, reproductive rights, discrimination protections, healthcare, immigrant rights, and more. In summary, with Ginsburg gone, human rights are on the line. A 6-3 conservative majority could be in place for the next 30 years if Trump is able to appoint a judge before the election. The Guardian reports, "An ideological tilt of this kind on the supreme court has not happened for 50 years." So, should you be worried?
The answer is yes. While us women shouldn't be packing our bags for Canada to avoid the impending Handmaid's Tale scenario (yet), we should be aware of the impact that Ruth Bader Ginsburg had and what this means for us now that she is gone. While we mourn her death, we should also be reading and watching the news, staying informed, and most importantly, getting ready to vote this November. The best way to pass her legacy on and celebrate her life is to get to the polls.
In the name of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, GO VOTE.
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