Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsberg

By Caroline Downey

It was a somber day when the late Antonin Scalia suddenly passed in 2016. As we mourned his death, then, we feel a similar grief today. After such a significant event as the loss of a Supreme Court justice, it’s natural to jump to the political implications immediately. While the stakes are undoubtedly high for both parties, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy deserves due commemoration. 

While her progressive jurisprudence and judicial activism lost the support of many on the Right, RBG was an inspiration to both liberal and conservative women. As one of just nine female undergraduates at Harvard Law School in 1957 and only the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court, RBG shattered every glass ceiling she faced, empowering countless women to enter the legal profession. Between her husband Marty’s cancer diagnosis and her many law firm rejections, RBG dealt with her adversity with a “notorious” fortitude. Some of her notable contributions include securing a woman’s right to sign a mortgage without a man, to have a bank account without a male co-signer, and to have children/be pregnant and work. Thanks to her efforts, many barriers that inhibited women were dismantled, opening up opportunities for women to pursue careers as pilots, police officers, firefighters, and other traditionally male occupations. But rather than partake in the bra-burning and anti-patriarchy hysteria of her day, RBG adopted a conservative strategy in the fight for gender equality and ended discrimination based on sex by effectuating incremental changes to the sexist laws on the books. 

Besides her zeal for justice and the law, Ruth Bader Ginsburg should be remembered for her decency and civility. While the original word has been co-opted by the far-Left and confined to oblivion, RBG was a true liberal. Always exhibiting a calm demeanor and strong sensibility, she not only tolerated but welcomed diversity of thought in and out of the courtroom. She commented, “I’m a very strong believer in listening and learning from others.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg carried the spirit of fair debate that’s been long missing in American politics, perhaps nowhere better observed than in her extraordinary friendship with late Justice Antonin Scalia. 

Scalia, a diehard conservative, and RBG, a staunch liberal, delighted in conversation, laughing, dinner parties, and even family vacations together. Aside from their mutual love of opera, the pair shared a passion for the law and enjoyed discussing it, despite their divergent interpretations of the Constitution. Their relationship evoked nostalgia for a bygone era where people could have an intellectual disagreement and remain friends. While their judicial opinions conflicted frequently, Ginsburg and Scalia created an ideological balance on the bench that the framers would appreciate. Most importantly, the duo reminded Americans that proper political sparring attacks ideas, not people.

While President Clinton deliberated his nomination to the Supreme Court, Justice Scalia was asked: “If you were stranded on a desert island with your new Court colleague, who would you prefer, Larry Tribe or Mario Cuomo?” Scalia responded without hesitation, “Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” The admiration was mutual for RBG. When Scalia died in 2015, RBG gave her “best buddy,” a moving tribute at his memorial, calling the Supreme Court a “paler place” without him. If the roles were reversed, I’m confident Scalia would do the same for her. Scalia was very fond of his liberal companion, so we owe it to him to pay our respects to her lifetime commitment to the law and the federal judiciary.

It is a tragedy to lose someone who dedicated her life to our republic. No matter your political affiliation, few can deny that RBG left a permanent mark on the judicial branch, the law, women’s rights, and America. At the very least, liberals and conservatives can find peace in knowing that there is a happy reunion of old friends in heaven today. 

Thank you to Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her service to our country, to women, and to people everywhere. She will be dearly missed.