In RBG's Own Words

I've long admired American Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) for her intellect, her steely determination, her keenly researched and supported opinions, and most of all, being a trailblazer growing up in an era when women were told to stay at home, and they were kept out of studying law and practicing it within the legal system. RBG has a sharp mind and a strong voice, and she's not afraid to use them.

Together with her authorized biographers, Mary Hartnett and Wendy Williams, RBG put together 'My Own Words' (2016). The book is a collection of her writing and speeches. While she doesn't write the book as a typical recollection of first-person narrative, the content of the speeches reflect her thoughts and her beliefs, and how she is who who she is. In this sense, it doesn't tell us as many personal details as we would have liked, but there're certainly some hilarious stories in the public speeches made by her husband, and her children.

The speeches share anecdotes about the beautiful relationship she has had with her husband of 56 years, Martin David Ginsburg (who passed away in 2010), and his public speeches. For some reason, I really liked the writing and the content, and took a slow read through. My favorite portions were djdjdjddd, and her comments on the wives of Supreme Court Justices. I enjoyed the details about the indefatigable and quick-witted Malvina Shanklin Harlan who wrote a memoir that wasn’t widely known or read till almost a century later. RBG had read it and pushed for it to be run as a story in The Times, and later on a publisher picked it up and it into ‘Some Memories of a Long Life: 1854-1911’ (2002), and of politically-savvy Nellie Taft (formally, Helen Herron Taft), First Lady and wife of William Howard Taft who was President of the United States from 1909-1913, then as Chief Justice from 1921-1930.

Now 86 years old, RBG is a legend. She’s the longest serving Justice on the Supreme Court Bench. She beat cancer, twice, and hopefully she beats it a third time. Also, don't forget how dedicated she is to her exercise regime. Those planks! Despite the general effects of aging, she's not stepping down from her post from the Supreme Court. I fear that when she does, it's a devastating loss for the world of logic and integrity. She has won women so many rights and showed us the way. It’s up to us to take the baton and light our own paths, and make our mark in our respective worlds.

In the preface of this book, Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote,

When a Justice is of the firm view that the majority got it wrong, she is free to say so in dissent. I take  advantage of that prerogative, when I think it important, as do my colleagues. Despite our strong disagreements on cardinal issues—think, for example, of controls on political campaign spending, affirmative action, access to abortion—we genuinely respect each other, even enjoy each other's company. Collegiality is key to the success of our mission. We could not do the job the Constitution assigns to us if we didn't—to use one of Justice Scalia's favorite expressions—"get over it!" All of is revere the Constitution and the Court. We aim to ensure that when we leave the Court, the third branch of government will be in as good shape as it was when we joined it.