The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg left a vacancy in our Supreme Court, a space too big to fill -- but a space to fill nonetheless. Her impact isn't unnoticed as hundreds and thousands honor her service to our nation. She gave her last days to this country for fear that Trump would be able to appoint a justice. In fact, one of her sole wishes was to have the next president appoint, regardless of whether she passed away.
While the world mourns her loss and looks back on all she did for women's rights, for abortion rights, and for so many other groups, Trump casts a shadow on her passing. He wants to appoint a new Supreme Court Justice -- fast. Before the election. Senate Republicans want to do so as well. But karma reminds us of our duty to hold people accountable.
In 2016, Republicans held a hearing for President Obama's Supreme Court nomination Merrick Garland, eight months before the election. Garland was moderate. Republicans stalled. Obama never got to appoint a Justice. At the time, Republican senator Lindsay Graham argued it was too close to an election to allow the current president to appoint, saying "I want you to use my words against me. If there's a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first trem, you can say 'Lindsay Graham said Let's let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination'". And so here we are.
Our politicians are questioning whether we pay attention enough to hold them accountable to their words. Let's prove our civic duty and make it impossible for Trump to appoint a Justice six weeks before the 2020 election. Legitimacy is defined in politics as the people's commitment to democracy over anything else. Our nation depends on our commitment, on us demanding more of our government representatives. This election depends on it. Let's hold Lindsay Graham to his words. For Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For our democracy which she dedicated her last days to protecting.
