When Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated at the top of her class from Harvard Law School, she couldn’t find a job. When she later settled on teaching law at Columbia, she became the first woman to hold tenure there. Her story — of a woman denied freedom by arbitrary rules — is a familiar one. But her life’s impact, and the freedoms she gave to millions of people, will be remembered as extraordinary.
The sudden news of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing has caused a wave of mourning and grief. We are grieving alone, quarantined in our homes, while we deal with the stresses of the pandemic, the wildfires and climate change, and the upcoming election.
Barely five feet tall and soft-spoken, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or “Notorious RBG” as she has come to be known by a new generation, built a towering legacy. She once said the song “Free to Be You and Me” best reflects her deepest faith in our nation’s promise. That promise allows all of us — no matter our age, our gender identity, the color of our skin, or the language we speak — a place in America, a home we all share.
She inspired us to stand up for one another — an ideal that echoes women of the ages. She reflects suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s call for women to act when Stanton said, “every truth we see is ours to give the world, not to keep for ourselves alone.” She echoes the words of Dolores Huerta who organized farm workers saying, “Si se puede” — yes we can. She echoes a movement sparked by three queer Black women — Patrice Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza — that has inspired millions of us to say, “Black Lives Matter.”
Perhaps these commonalities stem from compassion. The day before Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated from high school, her mother died of cancer. During Ginsburg’s time at Harvard Law, her husband Marty was diagnosed with cancer. On top of her own coursework, she attended his classes, typed his notes, helped him with his exams, and cared for him at home as well as their young daughter. Her life reflects a humble gratitude for others. Is it any wonder then, that she used her career to uplift millions more?
These same values of compassion — of uplifting others — drive Orange County’s values today. The Orange County Women’s March and many marches for Black lives remain the county’s largest direct actions. They united tens of thousands of people across generations and backgrounds, and they are driven by our shared belief in each other’s worth.
Justice Ginsburg dictated her dying words to her granddaughter: “My most fervent wish is that I not be replaced until a new president is installed.” It’s hard not to notice that her words mirror those of Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2016 after the passing of Antonin Scalia, when he said, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”
Yet within hours of Justice Ginsburg’s death, while the nation was in mourning and shock, Mitch McConnell vowed to fill her seat. Even if she had died in October, he had once said, he would have called her his “October surprise.” His callousness is outrageous. His actions are fueling more painful division in our country, and are all the more reason to vote for change. Voters are already preparing for the election — in Orange County, ballots go out in 16 days.
With so few days left before the biggest election of our lifetimes, each of us must use our power to honor Justice Ginsburg’s legacy. We can summon our inner Notorious RBG: Take action for issues you care about. Get involved in the election. Volunteer. Above all, vote.
She would have wanted us to vote. We have so many issues before us. We vote for our health and safety in this pandemic; for an economic recovery that will include working women and men; for climate science; and for racial justice that has been too long denied.
With USPS delivery speed at risk, it’s so important to return your ballot as soon as you get it. Make sure you fill it out correctly, and sign the envelope. Take it to a drop box — they open on October 5th, the same day ballots go out — or hand deliver it to any Vote Center. The Registrar of Voters website, ocvote.com, has information to help.Make sure your loved ones vote, too. Each of us can build upon Justice Ginsburg’s legacy when we ask, “Do you have any questions about your ballot? Did you return it today?”
By uplifting others during this election — whether they be the candidates we believe in, or the voters in our community — we’re building on a legacy larger than ourselves. Let’s keep the legacy moving forward.
Ada Briceño is chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County and a member of the Democratic National Committee.
Democrats can honor RBG by getting out to vote this November: Ada Briceño posted first on https://anaheimsignsorangecounty.blogspot.com
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