What Happens If Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, aka the Notorious RBG, has looked cancer in the face and laughed as she beat it.
FOUR TIMES. It’s remarkable enough to do that once, but four times??? That’s nothing short of remarkable.
That said, she is currently 86 years old. She’ll be 87 years old on March 15. Every birthday she has is a blessing, as she remains one of the four liberal voices on the now conservative-leaning Supreme Court. But it should also make liberals VERY worried: how much longer do we think she can cheat death? And, if she does eventually succumb to the forces that we mere mortals are subject to – and that happens while trump is still in office – a 5-4 Supreme Court will suddenly become an insurmountable 6-3 Supreme Court.
FOR DECADES.
Liberals don’t often think in terms that simple and stark. We are caught up in our existential shopping lists of virtue: Medicare for All, the environment, equal rights, women’s rights, immigration, etc. But, what we fail to realize is, if we cannot coalesce behind ONE Presidential nominee, all of our progressive goals will vanish behind the sinister, satisfied sneer of Mitch McConnell.
You remember Mitch McConnell, right?
He’s the guy who’s proudest moment was telling President Obama “You will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy,” an unprecedented move that left the door open to stealing Merrick Garland’s seat on SCOTUS and filling it with conservative justice Neil Gorsuch.
And then, we all recall what followed next: despite many accusations of sexual assault and inappropriate behavior, Brett Kavanaugh was nominated by trump and confirmed to the SCOTUS seat recently and mysteriously vacated by now-retired Anthony Kennedy.
How did trump get to fill TWO Supreme Court seats? Because elections have consequences. Elections have consequences. Elections have consequences. Elections have consequences. Electionibus consequatur (that’s Latin for ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES).
Why did I say that so many times?
Because we just don’t seem to get it. Sometimes, progressive voters look at choosing a new President like choosing between the realization of all of their progressive hopes and dreams wrapped into one person and some phony moderate corporate DEM who’s really just a Democrat in Name Only and is a traitor to all that is real and good in the universe.
But that’s a false choice. Of the two choices, people who might be characterized in the latter category would be Hillary Clinton, or Joe Biden. Even Senator Elizabeth Warren did not fit the lofty progressive profile of the left wing of the Democratic Party. ELIZABETH FUCKING WARREN!
Believe it or not, Senator Warren was slammed as a phony or a snake and former Republican by many in the progressive wing who would ONLY support Bernie Sanders, ride or die, Bernie or Bust, the only Democratic candidate (not really a Democrat) pure enough to earn the coveted title of “The Only Real Progressive in the Race.”
So, on the one hand we have two DEM candidates who are a world apart in their progressive values, but STILL represent most of the values considered to be part of mainstream Democratic values. On the other hand, we have a so-called “president” who is determined to pack the Supreme Court, and Federal Courts, with judges who will fundamentally change the way court cases are ruled for decades. Given four more years, trump will destroy Roe v. Wade, he will continue to undo environmental protections, and we will be that much further from our progressive goals than we’ve EVER been.
You will hear many younger voters argue…
…”We deserve more than having to settle for establishment candidates who don’t really care about progressive ideals. My vote should be earned. I don’t want to just vote for the lesser of two evils.” And this is a very valid statement. The youth of society should be listened to, because they are our future. This is literally THEIR world that they are fighting for, passionately and urgently.
But it is our job, our responsibility, to patiently convey to them that if they choose to sit out the next election because they didn’t get the candidate that they wanted, Donald trump may very well be re-elected without their crucial votes. And, if he’s re-elected, Ruth Bader Ginsburg may leave this world, and they will learn too late how much that mattered.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has served on the Supreme Court since being appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. That’s twenty-seven years. There is an enormous amount of pressure on her, right now, just to stay alive until we can manage to get our acts together, the way Republicans always do.
We need to campaign to get Ruth Bader Ginsburg the vacation she deserves, the one she has EARNED, by winning this next election and ensuring that her seat is filled by someone who will protect our progressive agenda, and prevent that sinister McConnell sneer from ever seeing the light of day again.
We all need to be aware how this present administration is stacking the deck and unbalancing things in truly dangerous ways. And we all need to realize that – at this point in time – we need to protect our balance of power even if that means voting for someone who we feel isn’t perfect or near perfect. Right now is not the time to push for extremes. We have to join together, closer to the middle, to return to a system where all ideas at least have a chance to become reality. Once we have more of a balance and fairness restored, then it may be possible to find ways to help each other and our country.
America’s Constitution has always seemed to balance the power… up to now! Trump and the Senate being in power were slightly tempered by the House and SCOTUS. Finally, after 4 grueling years, it appears that the Dems may have control of the Exec Br, the House, and hopefully the Senate… leaving only the SCOTUS to temper our lust for change.
If the Dems act responsibly they will own it for 8-12 years. In that time we can expect one Justice replacement. That’ll re-zero the scales and we will meld together for a better future.
What will (should) happen if Trump/McConnell appoint a Justice now? Well, hopefully the American people will vote them out. Control of the Senate is key to Dems making significant change. On the other hand, if Trump/McConnell leave it to the next President, The GOP will probably continue to dominate in the Senate. Either way, balance will be achieved.
Yes I agree! I am so frustrated everyday ! This administration has no MORALS and neither wrong nor right means shit to them! They are too busy kissing Trump’s ass and forget to wipe their faces!
So very true. It is difficult to stand by and watch this happen. We must unite in this fight to protect our country and our rights.
I am board for anything that keeps #RBG healthy. Let me know what I can do to help.
Excellent perspective, my fear is that people sit this election or by voting 3rd party will throw the election to Trump. Of course those who don’t feel like they having anything too lose. Voting your conscious while living an unethical life is the great hypocrisy. Thanks for your words!
On Point!
Enjoyed your writing.
I’m with you.
We need to stay in the fight for filling RBG seat. President Biden will have the next SCOTUS pick.
We HAVE to stand up to trumps admin and expand scotus if they cross us. Be careful of too much constitutional change at once. Save our values- save our courts
Today, unfortunately,now more than ever this article rings true. RBG was my shero, she helped me evolve from a conservative Bible Belt Catholic raised in one of the last small towns to have the federal mandate for school integration lifted. Jackson, TN. I moved away at the age of 30 to finish raising my children in a world very different from mine, with liberal ideas that were viewed as against Jesus back home, I started to understand that freedom to live in this earthly vessel meant different things for each individual, I started reading the Tao and the Bhagavad Gita. I spent time at the Krishna compound in Alachua FL. In saying this my prayer 🙏🏼 is no matter the outcome growth will continue and those of us who wish for the Constitution to truly mean WE the People will prevail. The Notorious RBG made me have faith my generation would be the generation for that to be realized, I certainly know my 17 year old sons generation yearns for equality even more than mine. A’ho Dawk’ee ~ Namaste
I hope you continue your journey of learning and are proud of how you are raising your children in a more open-minded way with love and understanding. Some journeys are difficult or long but are so worth the experience. Raising good children is a challenge and such an important journey for a family. Our children are so much more open-minded and will be wonderful caretakers of this world if we support them now.
It is heartbreaking that she did not live to enjoy that vacation she deserved so much. Her battle has ended and ours has begun, in her name. Now we are Ruthless. RIP RBG
Very true! And now we must fight this fight for America and all Americans in RBG’s honor and because we are worth it! BDD