By: Kira Oviedo, Staff Writer
“My mother had two lessons that she repeated over and over ‘be a lady’ and ‘be independent.’ Be a lady meant don’t allow yourself to be overcome by useless emotions like anger, and by independent she meant ‘it would be fine if you met prince charming and lived happily ever after, but… be able to fend for yourself,’” said Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Nearly a month ago the Associate Justice for the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, unfortunately passed due to a decline in health. Although all of her supporters were in mourning, there was a collective response that all of her work needed to be spread. I find myself among these supporters and feel as though it is important to display a glimpse of how her drive pushed society into an era of women's rights.
Since her graduation from Columbia Law School in 1959, the Notorious RBG (as fans would call her), spent the entirety of her legal career pushing in advocation of women empowerment. After being nominated to the Supreme Court by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 and sworn in soon after, Ginsburg took the position seriously, making her opinions clearly known to fellow Justices. A key case Ginsburg argued for as a Justice was United States v. Virginia. In this, RBG swayed the Justices to form the majority opinion in allowing women to attend a primarily men-only military institute. She delivered the opinion on the side of the plaintiff, stating that women who were qualified could not be denied entry to the Virginia Military Institute.
Growing up in the 50s, Ginsburg understood that women were seen as less than that of a man, shown by her being one of nine women in a class of 500 students at her first year of law school. She made it a point to tell all who identify as female that she expects big action, starting with how she wants the Supreme Court to look like in the future.
“In my life, I expect to see two, three, four, perhaps even more women on the high court bench. Women not shaped from the same mold, but of different complexions,” said Ginsburg.
I think RBG has set an emphasis on what it means to truly stand up for justice. The idea does not simply mean that one should focus on issues that pertain to themselves. Justice is not subject to tunnel vision, but rather a means to aid those who feel minimized by society, and others who are afraid to have their voice heard.
What happens now? With a seat now open on the Supreme Court, thoughts and opinions have been circulating about if President Trump should or can nominate a new Justice so close to the election. Concerns of many have been brought to light that if someone is nominated, it is unlikely that the person would hold women to the same regard as Ginsburg did.
Nonetheless, with a pandemic ongoing and an election looming, one thing she enforced is for certain. That is, no matter where you stand on the political spectrum, or what you believe in, you must speak up and act in the aid of others.