Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away on February 13, 2016. Many of his supporters are shocked, posting their favorite Scalia quotations on social media, while others are joyous, seeing this as an opportunity to diversify the mostly male, white, conservative Court. One of Scalia’s greatest ideological adversary was Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Professionally, the two could not be more different.
Scalia was made Supreme Court Justice under the Republican Reagan administration in 1986. Ginsberg was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by Democratic President Clinton. Scalia exercised the judicial philosophy of originalism, that the Constitution should be interpreted in terms of what it meant to those who ratified it over two centuries ago. Ginsberg viewed the Constitution as a “living document,” that evolved with the context of the time. Scalia was against same-sex marriage, Ginsberg for it. Scalia voted against the Affordable Care Act, Ginsberg in favor. Scalia argued for gun ownership rights, public autonomy from government, and the religious nature of United States law. Ginsberg is an advocate of gender equality, the rights of workers and the separation of church and state.
Although political opposites, Scalia and Ginsberg were personally close. Both grew up in working class households in New York, both loved the opera, and both dedicated their lives to the law. Scalia referred to Ginsberg as his “best buddy.” Ginsberg mirrored the sentiment saying, “I disagreed with most of what he said, but I loved the way he said it." Their political ruthlessness only applied to their interpretation of the law. When it came to their personal relationship, Scalia and Ginsberg let bygones be bygones and treasured the special friendship they had fostered.
In an increasingly polarized political climate, respectfulness is an often discarded virtue. Personal hits and crude language have characterized both the Democratic and Republican campaigns for president. Many Democrats peg all Republicans for gun-toting, civil rights-hating traditionalists, while many Republicans believe all Democrats are pot-smoking, hippy socialists. Yes, we are different. Yes, we should hold true to our opinions if they are well-informed. But we can also learn to listen. We can learn to absorb as well as project. Most importantly, we can learn from these two Justices that the bottom line of the American government is that everyone should be free to express their opinion, even if we disagree with it. And if you can’t seem to find compromise with the chatty Republican in your college gov class or the active Democrat in your town hall meeting? Go to the opera, play cards, or get some ice cream together instead.
