In recent news, there was a shocking headline,
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020 at the age of 87 due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Justice Ginsburg was the second woman to be appointed to the United States' Supreme Court in which she served for over 27 years. Likewise, she was an influential leading voice and figure for gender equality, women's interests, and civil rights and liberties.
On September 19, 2020 the Supreme Court released statements regarding Justice Ginsburg's death.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
"Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature … with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her – a tireless and resolute champion of justice."
Justice Clarence Thomas
… She was the essence of grace, civility, and dignity. She was a superb judge who gave her best and exacted the best from each of us, whether in agreement or disagreement. And, as outstanding as she was as a judge, she was an even better colleague – unfailingly gracious, thoughtful, and civil …
Justice Stephen G. Breyer
I heard of Ruth's death … I thought:
a great Justice; a woman of valour; a rock of righteousness; and my good, good friend.
The world is a better place for her having lived in it.
And so is her family; her friends; the legal community;and the nation.
Justice Samuel A. Alito
… Justice Ginsburg will go down as a leading figure in the history of the Court. She will be remembered for her intelligence, learning, and remarkable fortitude. She has been and will continue to be an inspiration for many.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor
… She spent her life fighting for the equality of all people, and she was a pathbreaking champion of women's rights. She served our Court and country with consummate dedication, tirelessness, and passion for justice. She has left a legacy few could rival …
Justice Elena Kagan
… She led the fight to grant women equal rights under the law … I will miss her – her intellect, her generosity, her sly wit, her manifest integrity, and her endless capacity for work – for the rest of my life …
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch
… Her sacrifices for the country were many, but always performed with honor. We are blessed by the happy memories that will remain … May she rest in peace.
Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh
… No American has ever done more than Justice Ginsburg to ensure equal justice under law for women. She … inspired me, and all of us, with her unparalleled work ethic and devotion to the law … Justice Ginsburg paved the way for women to become lawyers and judges. She made it possible for women and girls like my daughter to compete on equal footing as student-athletes …
Justice David H. Souter
Ruth Ginsburg … achieved greatness before she became a great justice. I loved her to pieces.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy
The members of the Court always will cherish all that Justice Ginsburg meant to us as a distinguished jurist and an inspiring, wonderful person. She will have an esteemed place in the history of our Court … By her learning she taught devotion to the law. By her dignity she taught respect for others and her love for America. By her reverence for the Constitution, she taught us to preserve it to secure our freedom.
Likewise, former President Barack Obama also made a statement regarding Justice Ginsburg's death.
… Over a long career on both sides of the bench – as a relentless litigator and an incisive jurist – Justice Ginsburg helped us see that discrimination on the basis of sex isn't about an abstract ideal of equality; that it doesn't only harm women; that it has real consequences for all of us. Its about who we are – and who we can be.
Justice Ginsburg inspired the generations who followed her, from the tiniest trick-or-treaters to law students burning the midnight oil to the most powerful leaders in the land …
Justice Ginsburg left a legacy of prestige and power on the Court and the United States. She influenced numerous women and men alike and will continue to do so for many more years.
The world is a better place for her having lived in it.
