To One of My Heroes: Thank You.

 

I have been absent from this blog as of late.  I had many things I wanted to talk about and post, however, I did not have the motivation to post them.  That changed last night on September 18th.  Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or RBG and the Notorious RBG, as admirers fondly referred to her, passed away surrounded by family yesterday.  Like many others around the nation, I was not okay last night.  Like many others, I went through periods of disbelief, grief, anger, anxiety, and back again.  Today, I am going to do what I always do when I find trouble processing something, and write about it.  

Many people who know me are aware that Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of my heroes.  She was the reason why I have some of the rights that I do.  She even inspired me to go to law school and pursue a career in law myself.  She was a steadfast advocate for so many voices, and I wish I had gotten to meet her at some point in my life.  

Throughout her long career on the Supreme Court (27 years), RBG was a fighter for many marginalized groups, including but not limited to, women, people with disabilities, and the LGBT+ community.  While serving as a justice, Ginsburg had many notable decisions and dissents.  She made it possible for everyone to marry, regardless of who they loved.  She fought for people with disabilities, so they had the right to live within their communities and not in institutions.  She paved the way for reproductive rights, and more specifically, the right to choose.  When she was discriminated against in the workplace, she took her frustration with her to the court and made it so women have more equal opportunity in the workforce.  

If you find yourself like me right now, unsure of what to do, but feeling like you want to do something before November, here is a shortlist of ways you can help.

• VOTE!!!!  In most states, you can vote by mail, including casting an absentee ballot, in the upcoming election.  However, if you cannot do so, look up if your state has early voting and go
• Become a poll worker:  If you feel that you can do so safely during the pandemic, sign up with your polling place as a worker.  Most, if not all precincts provide pay for this.
• Sign up to volunteer online:  Most campaigns are holding virtual volunteer shifts, meaning that you can text or call voters from the comfort of your own home, at your own convenience.  Some resources to sign up for shifts are below:
• Warren Democrats
• Biden/Harris
• Vote Save America
• You can also look up your county's site for each political party to volunteer more locally
• Call your Senators and tell them you do not want a Supreme Court nominee until after the election.  You can search for all congressional members' contact info here.

All of that being said, there will be people who agree with my words, and there will be people who will not.  All I ask is that if you choose to comment on this post and any other future politically motivated post that I make, please remain respectful of others.  

Thank you, Justice Ginsberg.  Thank you for everything you did for millions of Americans.  Thank you for inspiring young women and girls to pursue careers in politics, like me.  This loss really hurts.  I hope we can do you proud and honor your legacy in the years to come.  My condolences are with the Ginsburg family in this difficult time.  I am going to leave everyone who reads this with one of my favorite quotes by RBG.

"Fight for the things you care about, but do so in a way that will lead others to join you."

Thanks for reading.