The legendary Justice Ruth Bud Ginsberg practiced the principle of equal protection of law throughout his life.
In the 1970s, when Ruth Bud Ginsberg began to defend the sex discrimination case, he had not yet reached the point of “notorious”. The tenth edition of The New York Times published her first case successfully defended in the Supreme Court, but did not mention her name. It wasn’t until today, more than 40 years later, that she became the “notorious” Ginsburg: a rock star in a black judge’s robe, a role model in the eyes of women, and a cultural icon. All this reflects the characteristics of contemporary Internet celebrities, but also shows her outstanding career dedicated to the affirmative movement-this can be called a magnificent life movement on September 18, 2020, 87-year-old Ginsberg died of illness at home And put a rest.
Ginsberg was on fire in his old age. The little girls put on judge robes on Halloween; the young girl has tattoos of “RBG” (Ginsberg’s initials) tattooed on her body; every time she appears in public, she attracts many enthusiastic fans who call her name; The documentary “RBG” produced by Julie Cohen was nominated for the best documentary at the 2018 Oscar; the biographical film “Gender-based” starring Felicity Jones focused on the topic of women’s equality and reviewed Ginsberg’s life; Kate McKinnon used an exaggerated performance in the comedy show “Saturday Night Live” to create a swear word “Street Ginsberg”.
Fame in his later years was a huge change for Ginsberg. Even when she entered the Supreme Court as a justice in 1993, her popularity was limited to the legal profession. Ginsberg once said that judges should avoid public view and perform their functions behind the scenes.
|The Starting Point of “Notorious” |
Ginsberg’s fame can be traced back to 2013 in the “Shelby County v. Holder” case involving voting rights. At that time, the conservative members of the Supreme Court ruled that Article 4, Section 2 of the “Elections Act” was unconstitutional with a narrow vote of 5:4. The clause requires certain states and counties to pass federal approval before changing voting procedures, including Shelby County, Alabama, which has a history of denying minority voting rights.
As a representative of liberals on the Supreme Court, Ginsberg clearly opposed the Shelby County lawsuit. In her view, “these constituencies are no longer discriminatory as in the past, and government intervention is out of time”. The reason is simply untenable. “Abolishing the censorship mechanism while it is working is as ridiculous as throwing away an umbrella in a storm because you are not wet,” Ginsberg said.
New York University law student Shanna Naznik’s classmates came up with the label “Notorious Ginsberg” inspired by the rapper “Mr. Infamous,” and Naznik signed up for a blog under this name. Account to post Ginsberg’s photos and excerpts from his legal works. In fact, Ginsberg also wrote many objections to conservative rulings, which involved equal rights and freedom of reproduction. Her objections ignited the enthusiasm of liberals and stirred up waves on the Internet. Netizens painted the crown of elements of the representative work of artist Shang-Michel Basquiat on Ginsberg’s portrait and wrote “No Ruth, No Truth”.
In February 2015, Ginsberg, played by McKinnon, officially appeared in “Saturday Night Live”. In the same year, HarperCollins published “The Notorious RBG” co-authored by Naznick and young journalist Ilyin Kammon. The book has a humorous language and detailed content. Once it was published, it was on the New York Times bestseller list. Ginsburg-themed merchandise is all the rage, including car head dolls and Ginsburg necklaces.
She was no longer silent, and began to appear more in the public eye, especially in universities. As a former law professor at Rutgers Law School and Columbia University, she knows she must exert her influence in the field of education. Ginsberg did not focus his speech on hot topics, but seriously discussed the role of the Constitution in American society, the 19th century women’s struggle to enter the legal profession, and the Fourteenth Amendment’s defense of the law. The importance of “equality”. Her speech is not boring, and from time to time, she cleverly inserts “I didn’t realize that everyone wants to take a photo with me until I was around 85”, which always aroused applause.
In July 2016, when the presidential election was in full swing, Ginsberg broke the conventions of the American judiciary and criticized Trump, then the presidential candidate at the time, in a public interview with the media, calling him a “tax evasion liar.” Her frank speech aroused sharp criticism from the legal profession. Ginsberg quickly apologized, in a formal written statement, he said:. “I think my recent remarks in response to media inquiries wise enough, I am very sorry, I will be more careful in the future,”
Kingsbury Ge’s mistakes in manners aroused greater enthusiasm among liberal fans. When Trump defeated Hillary Clinton into the White House in November 2016 and gained the power to nominate Supreme Court justice, this love for Ginsberg reached a new height. Trump has nominated two candidates for justice, and now his re-nominated conservative Amy Barrett has filled Ginsberg’s vacancy.
| Flag of the affirmative movement | The
2018 documentary “RBG” reviewed Ginsberg’s career as a justice, and focused her attention on her little-known life experiences, including her role in the 1970s. The lawyer took the lead in advocating women’s equal rights in the court and her legendary marriage with her husband Martin Ginsberg.
A considerable number of people wearing RBG logo t-shirts and reposting posts may not understand how critical Ginsberg played a key role in protecting gender equality before becoming a judge. In the case where the New York Times did not specify her name, she won a government allowance equal to that of a married male noncommissioned officer for the married air force lieutenant Sharon Frontillo. In the turbulent 1970s, Ginsberg argued time and time again that five of the six lawsuits she was responsible for had won, but for her, there was still a long way to go before her goal was achieved. Ginsberg hopes that the American society will broadly support the use of strict censorship standards to test the constitutionality of gender classification, and the courts can then perform their functions to ensure equal rights for men and women.
These silent efforts to moisturize things hidden behind the scenes are a continuation of the gradual strategy adopted by Justice Thurgood Marshall in the 1940s and 1950s when he fought for racial equality. From the moment Ginsberg followed in Marshall’s footsteps and became a judge, she began the struggle for gender equality in accordance with the law. In the 1996 “United States v. Virginia”, the majority led by Ginsberg argued that “sex classification should pass strict judicial review” and ruled that the Virginia Military Academy’s admission policy of only boys is unconstitutional. Although the verdict of the case did not meet her expectations, it was still a major advancement in the affirmative movement. Ginsberg’s case law, even if it is not as eye-catching as the tattoos drawn on the shoulders of young girls, is enough to leave an indelible mark on the principle of equal protection of law.
In the decades of marriage, Ginsberg and her husband worked together to practice the principle of equality between men and women for which she fought. Martin is a well-known tax attorney who has undertaken many housework at home. He also relied on his personal connections within the Democratic Party to lobby and help his wife become a candidate for Supreme Court justice. Without Martin’s help, Ruth might never be as “notorious” as she is now.
After Martin’s death in 2010, Ginsberg became a popular icon, subverting society’s inherent impression of women of a certain age. Women love her from the bottom of their hearts and regard her as a hero, because Ginsberg, who has a soft tone, petite figure, and old age, stands shoulder to shoulder with the tall men and speaks bravely for them.
| A consistent principle|The
fact that Ginsberg did not retire during Obama’s term disappointed some liberals, because this would not ensure that his successor would also come from the Democratic presidential nomination. But Ginsberg himself implemented her principle: “As long as I can go all out, I will continue to serve as a justice.” Later, her expectations for Hillary Clinton’s succession as president fell through, and conservatives may be due to this in the next few years. Occupy the leading position of the Supreme Court during the year. Even so, her reputation among fans has not declined, on the contrary it has improved. Because in many people’s eyes, her refusal to resign under political pressure is precisely what she made a truly “notorious” decision that was not influenced by public opinion.
The thin Ginsberg also struggled with pancreatic cancer and colon cancer for a long time. After Trump took office, Ginsberg’s determination to defeat cancer greatly encouraged her supporters. In September 2019, Ginsberg gave a speech in Little Rock after undergoing fall and fracture, lung lesion resection and radiotherapy for pancreatic tumors. 18,000 tickets were robbed, and “The Justice’s determination defeated Trump’s ambitions” became a hot topic on social platforms.
The last message left by Ginsberg before his death is related to the question of the successor of the justice. She told her granddaughter Clara Spela: “How I hope I can hold on until the new president takes office before being replaced.” This is the last words of a jurist who is worried about her inheritance-she cares about whether her objections are. One day it will become the mainstream opinion of the society, rather than a temporary fame.
