Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Respects and reflections

INSPIRE

RUTH BADER GINSBURG Alyssa Dearborn

Editor’s note: Syracuse Woman Magazine contributing writer Alyssa Dearborn recently traveled to Washington D.C. to pay her respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. These are her reflections on the visit and the iconic United States Supreme Court Justice.

As I exited the metro at Capitol South, riding up the escalator and passing a couple of Washington DC police officers, I found a street-side tree to wait by for my friend. It was only five days since I first heard the news that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had died and only two days since I told my friend that I was planning a visit to D.C. It had been a very last-minute adventure and I would only be in the city for a little bit more than a day. But no matter how last minute or brief the adventure would be, I was determined to pay my respects to one of the most important women America would ever know. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero for so many women in the United States and the days following her death were marked by collective mourning that I wanted to witness for myself.

As I waited, I watched some of the passersby on their way to and from the memorial at the Supreme Court. There was no dress code for people wanting to pay their respects to Ginsburg. Many had dressed their best as if they were attending her actual funeral, wearing dresses and suits with shoes not meant for trekking around the city. Others were dressed more casually. Some of these casual dressers sported shirts bearing the face and words of the woman they had traveled to visit. Every now and then I would see someone proudly wearing a white and lacy collar similar to the ones that Ginsberg often wore. As they passed, a vendor on a street corner shouted to them, begging for them to buy his wares. He was selling a variety of politically charged buttons and pins, most of them Notorious RBG themed. If someone did not bring their own RBG memorabilia, as they progressed up and down the streets, there would be plenty of opportunities to obtain some.

My friend eventually arrived from the metro and we began to walk up the street together. We followed the direction of the crowds and were directed by traffic officers. The variety of groups attending

Detail, "The Four Justices" oil on canvas by Nelson Shank, is a tribute to the four female U.S. Supreme Court Justices. The entire painting measures seven feet wide by five-and-a-half feet tall.

was noticeable and extraordinary. There were families bringing young people, couples holding hands, lone travelers looking to experience history on their own, and countless groups of female friends. The fellow groups of women attending the memorial of a true champion for women’s rights hit home for me.

Had it not been for women like Ginsburg championing for women’s rights long before my friend and I were even born, the same groups of young women traveling to pay their respects may instead be marching for rights that should have already been granted to them. Many can agree that there is still much work to do on the field of women’s rights, but women like Ginsberg made the fight easier for the next generation of women across the country. American women of all ages know this and the loss of an icon like Ginsburg hit American women particularly hard. It is a loss that can only be processed together. The women attending together in groups seemed to be joining together in mass mourning. We all have so much to owe to her.

There were so many people traveling to pay their respects to the late Supreme Court justice. No matter how long the line and no matter how many people were already waiting in that line, people were willing to wait. We had to walk nearly ten blocks to find the end of the line leading to the courthouse. Just when we thought that we had reached the end of the line, we saw that it was only a small break to make way for traffic. The line would continue on to the other sides of the sidewalk.

As I walked to meet the end of the line, I noticed that almost everyone attending brought along some sort of offering. Many carried single stem flowers and small bouquets to leave on the court’s steps while others brought along handmade signs expressing hope and thanks. I opted to write a note expressing all of my own complicated feelings about Ginsburg’s passing. It is one of those kinds of notes that I know would never be read. But just as those bringing flowers knew that their gifts would never be received, I brought and left my note as a way to participate in a national mourning. It was a way to grieve with my fellow women and explore my own feelings.

My friend and I waited hours just so that we could see the casket of Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrapped in the American flag. We left our own offerings with the masses of flowers, signs, and messages. The long wait was worth experiencing a tiny moment of history. Had I not traveled and waited so long, I knew that there would be an unsatisfied feeling of regret. But it was not the sight of the casket on the steps of the court nor was it the thousands of people present that was the most historic feeling. What was most impressive was the overwhelming sense of love.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was intensely loved by the nation—that was evident by the crowds of people waiting in line just to see her casket and pay their respects. But the numbers of people there also proved just how much she loved this country. Any regular person with the same health prognosis would have retired from her intense job position years ago. But Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not a regular person. Her love for the welfare of our country outweighed her desire to retire. She put her country first in almost every one of her choices. She was a woman of great responsibility and patriotism. The love she had for the United States and the women who live here was felt all throughout the nation. No matter where one leans politically, one cannot help but see that her adoration for America was felt like a wave all throughout the city that day. She loved America and—from what I saw throughout Washington DC— she was very clearly loved back. SWM We have all your outdoor needs!

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