Ruth Bader Ginsburg: the woman who inspired and empowered women all over the world to achieve their goals, the woman who showed the world that it is not what power you have that matters but rather what you do with that power, the woman who taught me to never give up hope that I can make the world a better place. On Sept. 18, 2020, we lost this woman.
When I found out that Ruth had passed on, I was sitting downstairs with my dad while my mom was upstairs in her bedroom. We heard her yell something in a panicked voice, so I ran to the stairs to find out what she had said.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg died!” My mom said.
We all felt stunned by this news. Was this really happening? This woman has been a rock in so many people’s lives, including mine, and every day since her death I am reminded of her words of encouragement, empowerment and honesty.
“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time,” Ruth once said.
This is one of my favorite Ruth-isms because I believe this is a motto to live by. Real change is slow, but you never stop working towards it. I may be young, but Ruth has proved to me that I have the ability to make a positive impact on this world and I can encourage others to do so as well.
“You can disagree without being disagreeable,” is another well-known Ruth saying.
You can make your thoughts known without bringing others down in the process. Everyone has a right to speak their mind, but Ruth urges us to do so kindly and respectfully. This can be directly applied to today’s predicaments. Share your opinion on who should be president, but do so without putting the other candidate down; participate in protests, but avoid any form of negative speech and encourage others to utilize positive motivation to push their views forward.
One of Ruth’s greatest strengths was the way she got through hard times.
“So often in life, things that you regard as an impediment turn out to be great, good fortune,” she once quipped.
This resonates with me, an impediment can be positive. Ruth has shown us that when you get knocked down, you only gain strength by standing back up again. Over the past six months the world has been experiencing some major impediments. I remember being so frustrated when sports and school ended, when summer had to be spent inside, when I wasn’t able to see my extended family and friends, and when I felt powerless to all the changes occurring. Little did I know then that Ruth’s statement had never been more timely. Amidst all of the negative impacts from the coronavirus, I had the opportunity to be extremely productive and accomplish things that would have never been possible with a normal summer.
I know I am not alone in feeling the importance of her words and actions. I know her life has positively impacted many others.
“RBG has always been a hero of mine,” Sarah Thibault, a history teacher at Northwood, said. “Her fierce advocacy for women’s rights and her impactful role on the Supreme Court made her a role model for not just my generation, but for many. She always carried herself with such strength, confidence, and poise. There was no challenge too great and she never backed down from a fight. She did not play the petty “politics” game. In fact, one of her closest friendships on the Court was with conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, proving that it is possible to push past political polarization in favor of respect, compassion, and friendship. I pray that I live to see many more women grace the seats of the Supreme Court.”
Not only are Ruth’s actions inspiring, but her accomplishments tell an even deeper story.
“RBG as only the second woman on the Supreme Court is, just by that fact, a very important woman in American history,” NHS English teacher Nikki Cox said. “The first thing that I think I was aware of with her was the famous collection of jabots, the neckpieces she wore, which seems odd in retrospect, considering how much more she did than wear unique accessories. I’ve learned more about her in recent years, as her health problems have been covered by news outlets, and I admire her strength, not only in working through what I can imagine was unbearable pain but also in advocating for so many people, particularly women. I know that my life is easier because she battled on my behalf. Being the first Jewish woman on the Court is also significant, and I hope that her legacy includes more diversity in the future members of the Supreme Court, in ethnicity, religion, and more. She is truly an inspiring woman.”
Ruth has touched the lives of females of every age.
“I really believe that no matter what your political views are, she was an inspiration to every single American,” Lindsey Torres, a junior at Northwood, said. “But I think some people don’t really appreciate her for what she was and steer the conversation towards filling her vacancy, when it really needs to be about the legacy she left and how we can honor the changes she made to our country. She’s so much more than a vacancy that needs to be filled.”
Even though Ruth was an American role model, some people may not realize the depth of her wisdom. Ruth spoke in a way that touched your soul. Her words were leading people in the right direction of hope and love. When you read or hear the words Ruth spoke, read carefully and let them sink in; what is she saying to you? How will her words change the way you think or act?
Artwork by Ethan Westmoreland, Design Editor
