As I was celebrating Rosh Hashanah with my family last Friday evening, I learned of the tragic passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her death hit me like a punch in the stomach, leaving me breathless and scared because the true impact of her death may not be truly felt or appreciated for years to come.
An American trailblazer and icon like Justice Ginsburg comes along very rarely in our history and her legacy in championing equality and civil liberties for all Americans is carved into American jurisprudence for generations to come. However, with a president who has no regard or appreciation for our democracy and its pillars that keep its foundation strong and what I had believed to be indestructible, I am fearful that her legacy could very well be weakened, rendered de minimis or even erased. By adding another narrow-minded and biased judge to the court, he could thereby facilitate the reversal and nullification of the progress this country has seen over the past 50 years in civil rights, women’s rights, LGBT rights and marriage equality, privacy rights and abortion rights.
Justice Ginsburg’s death has brought our country to a tipping point. We must fight to preserve and protect the fundamental rights bestowed on us all as a result of her life’s contributions as a selfless, dedicated, relentless trailblazer. I firmly believe she would be disappointed in all of us if we didn’t seize this opportunity to carry the torch that she lit and carried for 87 years.
May she rest in peace and may her memory be a blessing for each and every one of us.
—Legislator Arnold Drucker
