Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or RBG, was a very important woman in history. At the age of 87, she sadly passed away on September 18, 2020, due to the complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. This was devastating to many people. She has struggled with health issues for a long time but has kept her head up and continued to fight for positive change. Her death has caused millions to learn more about all that she has done and the impact she has had on our society. RBG’s main focus in her legal career was ensuring women’s rights and equality.
RBG has been on the Supreme Court since August 10th, 1993, when she was appointed by President Bill Clinton. She worked relentlessly, fighting for equality until her very last breath. RBG was the second female and first Jewish female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1956, she enrolled at Harvard law school and was one of the only nine females attending the university. Later, she transferred from Harvard to Columbia college, graduating as the top student in her class.
In that time period, it was very difficult and rare for a woman to obtain a job in law. She wanted to share and educate people on equality for all genders. She got others involved and said, “fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” Women would not have the same opportunities and respect if not for RBG. She helped women feel less obligated to be homemakers and instead empowered them to create careers for themselves. She showed people that when you are very passionate about something, you can make a difference. RBG will always be remembered as a hero to women all over the world. I interviewed three different females to see how they were impacted by RBG’s death.
Do you think Amy Coney Barrett is a good person to take RBG’s role?
“I am grateful that, after RBG paved the way, the person taking her role is a woman. However, I don’t think that Barrett will fight to protect the rights of women and others in the way that Justice Ginsburg did.”
Where were you and what were you doing when you found out RBG died?
I was at home working, and my brother called me and told me. I think it was a sad, weird moment, trying to understand what her passing would mean.
Has RBG’s death made you want to make a bigger impact on women’s rights?
Yes, I think it inspired me to work to take what she did even further, working to open more doors for women and others. It’s so inspirational to know that we continued this even since her passing, with the first female vice president-elect.
What was your initial reaction when you found out RBG died?
My initial reaction was fear, and then sadness. Unfortunately, the state of the world right now had made me anticipate the news (which I think we knew was coming at some point) with a lot of fear, and so that was the first thing that came to my mind.
Claire W, age 21
Do you think Amy Coney Barrett is a good person to take RBG's role? “No, I don’t because I think she is very conservative, and she comes from a place that is very reactionary. The person who appointed her is not an intellect. I don’t think President Trump values women or equality. As a woman, and as someone who admired RBG, I think that Barrett is the polar opposite of RBG. RBG was a legal, cultural, and feminist icon. She wanted equality for all."
What type of person do you think should take RBG's role? “I think RGB became known as a firebrand, I don’t think she was picked because she was radical. She was compassionate, not reactionary, and by example, promoted visions of possibility. When we look at Kamala Harris, she is a vision of possibility. Someone of her ilk, someone like RGB, should be someone who believes in equality for all men and women.”
Did her death affect you personally? If so how? “I was saddened because her dying wish was not dignified. He (Trump) found a woman, and a conservative who is someone whom he believes will tout his conservative, political and racist views. She was evasive when she was questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee. I think that she’s a woman and she made it to the Supreme Court, but she is not a woman that I think will honor women’s rights and choices. She doesn’t believe in abortion, and I think everyone has the right to make choices and decisions about their body.”
Has RBG's death made you want to make a bigger impact on women's rights?
“This whole epoch in history is crucial. When Trump was being elected, my husband was dying of cancer, and I felt bad that I wasn’t able to be more involved in the election process. In contrast, I was as involved in this election process as I could be given the limitations imposed by the pandemic. I did go to a march in Downtown Los Angeles on Women's Rights before the pandemic. For this election, I made financial contributions that I could afford and stayed in the mix with my friends and paid more attention than previously.”
Anonymous, age 60
What type of person do you think should take RBG's role?
“Probably someone that would actually recognize that human rights aren’t supposed to be political and would try their hardest when supporting women’s equality and notifies the fractures in the police system.”
Has RBG's death made you want to make a bigger impact on women's rights?
“It definitely makes me want to help more. I want to vote, but I can’t because I'm too young. Although my family and I have been signing a bunch of petitions to vote Amy Coney Barrett out of the Supreme Court and potentially save abortion, I wish I could do more, and I have tried.”
What was your initial reaction when you found out RBG died?
“I was very surprised because I forgot how old she was and how much she had done. At that moment, I started remembering all the books I read about her. She was such a powerhouse, she never really took no for an answer, and she was a brilliant woman. I aspire to be like her because I want to be more when it comes to how I show off my intelligence.”
Rowan F, age 13
Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ruth-Bader-Ginsburg
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