The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on Friday, at age 87, will no doubt lead to a political fracas in Washington, D.C. But, as U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said of her passing, Justice Ginsberg was deserving of honor “irrespective of jurisprudential or philosophical views.”
“I, my wife who soon will become an elected state prosecutor, and our four daughters, are profoundly grateful to RBG for forever changing for the better the legal landscape for American women and equal rights, allowing them to seek opportunities, achieve their goals, and excel on equal footing with men across the entire spectrum of American economy and its variety of professions and pursuits,” McAllister said.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg gained celebrity status as “RBG” or even “Notorious RBG.” She is the subject of numerous books, including some children’s books that can be found at the Great Bend Public Library. She became famous to some for championing gender equality; others knew her because she added stylish collars to her judge’s robes or because she did twice-weekly workouts at the gym in her 80s.
RBG wasn’t the first woman on the Supreme Court; that was Sandra Day O’Connor, appointed by President Ronald Regan, who served from 1981 to 2006. The number of women who have served on this court can still be counted on one hand. There have been four and two of them are still serving (three are still living). Ruther Bader Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, Sonia Sotomayor was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 and Elena Kagan was appointed by Obama in 2010.
There are books about the other justices, too, but Ginsburg was also the subject of two movies, “RBG” and “On the Basis of Sex.” Women for Kansas - Barton County was one of many groups that celebrated her birthday on March 15.
Justice Ginsberg stood out as she championed women’s rights, civil rights, and in fact, everyone’s rights. She was an intelligent, compassionate woman, who aimed to see the “We the People” of the U.S. Constitution applied to everyone.
