Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on Friday (Sept. 18th) and with her death and the death of Rep. John Lewis, the United States of America has lost two of its greatest leaders in the manner of a couple of months…two people who will go down in history as champions of the oppressed.
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| John Lewis - Ruth Bader Ginsberg Shutterstock photo licensed |
When Rep. John Lewis died on July 17th, I thought to myself, “what could I write about this great man?”: because as most of you know, John Lewis was a civil rights advocate, demonstrator, protester turned congressperson. He worked outside the law demanding that the law change to give equal rights to minorities especially the Black population in my South…towns of my childhood…and then ran for congress to create law for equality. I was at a loss.
Again, I am at a loss because as most of you also
know, Justice Ginsburg lived her adult life inside the law
trying cases that would essentially change the interpretation of the law for
minorities and women and later ruling on cases for justice, first as a federal judge, then later a Supreme Court Justice. Two different
approaches, but the changes these two amazing people brought about were great none-the-less.
RBG and John Lewis were eloquent in their words, firm in
their convictions, and kind in their approach to others. What could I possibly add?
I can’t, so to honor them and educate us, read John's and Ruth's words
because no one can say it better:
"Don't
be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy
and waste time." -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“When I was a student, I studied philosophy and
religion. I talked about being patient. Some people say I was too hopeful, too
optimistic, but you have to be optimistic just in keeping with the philosophy
of non-violence.”
-- John Lewis
"Real
change, enduring change, happens one step at a time." –Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“If you're not hopeful and optimistic, then you just
give up. You have to take that long hard look and just believe that if you're consistent, you will succeed”
-- John Lewis
“I
ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet
off our necks.” –Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“When people tell me nothing has changed, I say come
walk in my shoes and I will show you change.”
-- John Lewis
“I don’t say women’s rights—I say the constitutional principle of the equal citizenship stature of men and women.” –Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“If you see something that is not right, not fair,
not just, you have a moral obligation to do something about it.”
-- John Lewis
“Women will
have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of
bringing up the next generation.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“We may not have chosen the time, but the time has
chosen us.”
-- John Lewis
We grieve their deaths, but much more we grieve the loss to
our world which desperately continues to need their voices, their optimism, their congeniality,
their wisdom and their pure doggedness to keep change going and keep us all growing in
human kindness and justice for all people.
-Kathleen
