On Sep.18, 2020, the country mourned for the late feminist icon; Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She left the world in peace after battling with medical conditions such as cancer since 1999; on June 29th of this year she went in for a checkup of kidney stones and her doctor found that she was suffering, yet again, from pancreatic cancer. She died at the age of 87 in Washington D.C. 

Justice Ginsberg was born in 1933 in Brooklyn New York and became a professor at Rutgers Law University and later at Columbia; at Columbia University, she was the first woman to become tenured. From there, she continued her journey as an advocate for women’s rights. Justice Ginsberg was appointed Associate Justice by former President of the United States, Bill Clinton in 1980. She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Her struggles included being a woman in a position of what was thought to be “a man’s career.” Teacher, Mr. Morris said, “RBG was an important part of protecting women’s rights and her legacy will live on for all time.” She dedicated her life to the cause of gender equality and continued that mission in the Supreme Court with the case of the United States v. Virginia when Virginia had a male-only admission policy for the Virginia Military Institute;  the case was won 7-1.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s life did not go to waste; she inspired thousands to stand up for what they believe in and has opened a door for women such as Judge Amy Coney Barret to even be considered a nominee for the Supreme Court. Judge Barrett says Ruth Bader Ginsberg was a woman who “not only broke glass ceilings – she smashed them.” Her goal was apparent when the nickname “Notorious RBG” was presented; it stuck with many of her followers and showed how she impacted them. With the unrest of the U.S. as we approach the presidential election between democrats and republicans, not many realize that, at the end of the day, we are all Americans; this was shown in the relationship between the late justice Scalia who passed in 2016, and Justice Ginsberg; they came from two different sides with different backgrounds, but they were also good friends who understood what it meant to be united in a country.

On account of the recent vacancy in the supreme court, a political battle has risen with the decision of a nominee. On Sept. 26th, the White House issued a statement saying, “President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett.” The current administration is showing its agenda for the next four years before the election in hopes to encourage voters. This morning on October 12th, Senator Mike Lee reminded the committee for the confirmation hearing, “I will object anytime anyone tries to attribute to you a policy position and hold you to that. You’re not a policymaker you’re a judge.” He says this with respect to the nominee to remind her of her job in the judicial courts.