Notorious RBG, Ms. Mojo, a true force to be reckoned with, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Badger Ginsburg will surely be missed. America has lost a big part of history. Ginsburg lived an admirable life and career advocating for not just women’s rights, but equality for all.
Ginsburg understood firsthand the unfair and biased treatment that comes from being a woman in America. She faced many obstacles and discrimination way before she became a lawyer or a judge. In 1956, as a Harvard Law Student, she experienced sexism being one of the few women in her law class. She constantly felt pressured to not only achieve but exceed others. If she failed or made a mistake, Ginsburg felt that other women to come would deal with those consequences. Therefore, she worked diligently, becoming one of the top 25 law students out of 530.
More difficulties occurred throughout Ginsburg’s early life. When pregnant with her first child, after telling her employer, she mysteriously was given a pay cut. When she was pregnant with her second child, Ginsburg kept it confidential as long as possible. In 1970, the law in most states stated a woman could be legally fired for being pregnant. In addition, it was common practice for banks to require a woman applying for credit to have her husband co-sign. All of Ginsburg’s experiences shaped her. When she began her career as a lawyer, then judge, then supreme court justice, history steadily began to change.
A few accomplishments Ginsburg is known for are fighting for affirmative action, supporting women’s right to an abortion, standing against the Virginia Military Institute’s exclusion against women, and beating cancer twice. Ginsburg was described as a brilliant lawyer who asked tough questions and had no tolerance for sexual discrimination.
The liberal Ruth Badger Ginsburg didn’t just have an exceptionally talented and extraordinary mind, but she was a friend to many, including fellow conservative supreme court justice Antonin Scalia. Their views on the law were like oil and water yet somehow, they became ‘best friends’ and Ginsburg even gave the eulogy and Scalia’s funeral. For all that she has done, we are left to say thank you Ruth Badger Ginsburg for your special mark in this nation’s history.
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