Ruth Bader Ginsburg: May Her Memory Be A Blessing
By Jo Lorenz
Pioneer of equality and a revolutionary American feminist, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has died at the age of 87.
This is a huge blow for feminism, equality, Judaism and progressive politics. Yet as a prelude to the 2020 Election, Justice Ginsburg’s death also has serious implications for America’s future civil liberties . . .
Friday September 18: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed away from complications of metastatic pancreas cancer, at the age of 87. This news is both sad and terrifying in equal measure.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg — known as the Notorious RBG — was a pioneer of equality and a trailblazing American feminist. In the 1970s she conceived and tried numerous cases before the court that essentially established constitutional protections against gender discrimination. Known for her passionate, yet level-headed dissents, Ruth tirelessly defended reproductive and civil rights, including those of the LGBTQIA+ community. Ruth fought for marginalised people and communities as a Jewish womxn who had grown up ostracised — and it was in fact her Judaism that propelled her lifelong pursuit for justice. She was appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton in 1993.
Now apart from being horribly sad as the world has lost an incredible and inspiring leader, this is very bad news for one very important reason . . . the American Supreme Court has nine Justices. Their role is to be impartial decision-makers in the pursuit of justice. They interpret the law, assess the evidence and control how hearings and trials are conducted. Yet despite their needs for impartiality, the Justices still always have an angle/approach to how they interpret the law and how they believe justice is best served. I.e. they are either inherently conservative, or inherently liberal.
Prior to Ruth’s death there were five conservative Justices and four liberal/progressive Justices. Two of the Justices, Neil Gorsuch and (I-still-can’t-believe-this-man-is-a-Justice) Brett Kavanaugh, were both appointed by Trump. In an effort to do our best journalistic-impartial tone, we’d describe them as extremely conservative (yet in an effort to call a spade a spade, we’d describe them as extremely bigoted and utterly repulsive individuals).
Ruth’s death gives Trump and his Band of Gerrymandering Men, the opportunity to name her Justice successor — something they have promised to try to do before the end of his first term — and her replacement will transform the court into a painfully conservative establishment, one in which conservative Justices outnumber the liberal ones, six to three.
This very likely means the end to Roe VS Wade (the legal decision that declared that access to safe and legal abortion is a constitutional right); the rolling back of many women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights; climate justice legislation torn up; the end of Obamacare for millions and millions of people; a push for DREAMers to be deported and more. All essentially evil, evil shit that would be enacted to “protect” the rights of white supremacy.
Add to this the fact that the nomination and consequent confirmation fight for the new Justice — in the middle of a pandemic and presidential election — will be yet another smoke-in-mirrors tactical deception by Trump (in fact, could this be the man’s only tactic in history?).
So today is a sad today. A sad day for the Jewish community. A sad day for womxn. A sad day for the future. Yet we cannot lose all hope and we must continue to resist and fight the power! If you want to aid justice for all in the US — which of course has a positive knock-on effect for the entire world — then you can help by donating to the non-profit ACLU who work tirelessly to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in the US. This includes the most pressing civil liberties issues of our time, such as racial justice, anti-semitism, women’s rights, human rights, disability rights, voting rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, immigration and free speech (and more).
In the words of Ruth herself: “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” Hear hear RBG! So let’s all honour the memory of this incredible woman by inspiring each other to remain in this. Fight the power!
