5 Times Ruth Bader Ginsburg Totally Schooled Us

WashingtonTimes.Com

Today marks the glorious birthday of one of America’s most influential voices. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 83 years young today and she’s still as feisty as ever. Not only is she a feminist icon but she’s also been at the forefront of LGBT equality. The Notorious RBG was actually the first US Supreme Court Justice to officiate a same-sex marriage! To honor Lady Ruth here are 5 times she told us like it is and dispensed eternal advice.

1. “The state controlling a woman would mean denying her full autonomy and full equality.”

Back in 1993 at her Senate confirmations hearing she addressed abortion and how a woman has neither power nor fairness in this issue. She was vocal about an issue that 23 years later is still important and sadly unresolved. Justice Ginsburg understands the relevance of this topic still and keeps fighting for better treatment of women’s bodies.

2. “…You’re not taking away anything from heterosexual couples. They would have the very same incentive to marry, all the benefits that come with marriage that they do now.”

When she was challenged on the institution of marriage and that a same-sex union would somehow ruin ‘traditional’ marriage, she wouldn’t have it. She knew we are all created equal and gay marriage isn’t going to mess up anything but rather enhance our country and bring it forward.

3. “My mother told me two things constantly. One was to be a lady, and the other was to be independent.”

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She certainly took her mother’s words to heart as co-founder of the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU. And she was also the first woman to be on two major law reviews, at Harvard and Columbia. And being the second ever female Justice doesn’t hurt your independent lady cred!

4. “I view the Second Amendment as rooted in the time totally allied to the need to support a militia. So…the Second Amendment is outdated in the sense that its function has become obsolete.”

For those who seem a little confused about ‘The Right to Bear Arms,” RBG couldn’t have broken it down any more simply than this. She’s not trying to take your guns away only saying that what you believe about #2 is silly and incorrect.

5. “People who have been hardworking, tax paying, those people ought to be given an opportunity to be on a track that leads towards citizenship.”

Justice Ginsburg has a lot to say on immigration, her truth has always been in all people are created equally. She has been an advocate for undocumented immigrants when sadly the laws we have currently exploit and leave them vulnerable. She’s called the issue of undocumented workers one that’s firmly in the lap of Congress to address.

I’m in the middle of reading NOTORIOUS RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and have been totally inspired by RBG. She is such an inspiration for women, men, anyone who seeks truth and equality. Here’s hoping she has many more years of fighting for the underprivileged in her. Here’s also hoping more wonderful women join her on the bench. She’s certainly left her mark on American law and history. She’s got a very big robe to fill for future justices, be they male or female.

NyMag.Com

PS: Justice Ginsburg keeps this photo of President Obama giving her a hug in her office. *Awwwww…tears*