Rest in Love, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020)

Radicalized through no fault of her own …

I have three broad thoughts about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s earthly departure that may appear clumsy to place in one post, so I’ll stick to the most obvious one — remembrance — and consider what else to share later.

RBG — who fought for social equity until, quite literally, her dying days — serves as a modern example for all oppressors who hate left-wing marchers, writers, thinkers, and jurists: if you don’t like their existence, stop creating them.

She was “radicalized” because society insists on creating a concrete ceiling to stop women’s education and career advancements; threatening the rights and safety of immigrants; viewing people with mental disabilities as lower-status American citizens, dictating to all of us what love is and where to find it; degrading the constitutionally-provisioned voting rights of African descendants; and ruling over women’s vaginas.

And for each of those battles that threaten the existence of what Maya Angelou and James Baldwin individually described as “these yet-to-be United States”, RBG was here for them.

Oppressors have an annoying habit of branding justice seekers as bugs in an otherwise perfect system.

As if Ruth Bader Ginsburg — with all her unique awesomeness — is just a one-off troublemaker.

Or John Lewis, now gone, just spoke for himself.

But there will be more Ginsburgs, as well as people who support them.

Because our oppression can’t help but create more voices for freedom.

Rest in Love, Justice Ginsburg …

song currently stuck in my head: “house of the rising sun” – joan baez