Lessons from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Michael Hirsh, MD

We live in a time of great conflict and controversy. Passions are high on every side of every issue. Consensus is near impossible under these current conditions. We have heard a lot about the dying wishes of Ruth Bader Ginsburg wanting to have her replacement picked after the November third election. Of course, I would love to see this wish honored, but that may be out of our hands. I would prefer to honor her memory differently. I think the best way to honor her is to mirror her behavior and embrace her philosophy of debate. We have to channel the inner spirit of RBG. Justice Ginsburg always had strong opinions and frequently argued with people to which she was diametrically opposed. She was iconic in so many ways. What made her unique and so admirable was that she engaged in these legal debates with a gentility that did not lessen her laser focus or ferocity. She knew she was frequently the odds-on favorite to lose her argument.

It’s her dissenting or opposition opinions that probably had the most influence. Whether she was in the minority or majority side she did not insist that the other justices leave the court and be canceled. Instead, you can find photographic evidence that shows her lunching, exercising, and communing with Justices Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and, more recently, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.

Her legacy will be one of fierce liberalism but also of civility and respect for opposing opinion — even if it was anathema to her. That’s what has been missing in our current discourse on so many issues from wearing masks to BLM issues.

Moving forward, let’s make this our take home life lesson gifted to us by this diminutive GIANT. +

Opposition and conflict should not mean ouster and ostracism.

Michael P. Hirsh, MD, Chief of Pediatric Trauma and Assistant Vice Provost for Health and Wellness Promotion, UMass Medical School