Politics in the Americas

This year the United States has lost Ruth Bader Ginsberg from one of its benches of the Supreme Court. She had past away on September 18th, 2020 and left an indelible positive mark to our country. Her story is a remarkable one indeed. Her influence has and will continue to be far reaching. Her fascinating story is told in the 2018 documentary RBG which shines light to her great work.

Justice Ginsberg was on the bench on very important issues. Just to name a couple, Justice Ginsberg was on the bench for the Ledbetter vs. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 2007. The Highest Court of the Land decided in favor of Ledbetter. In broad terms, it codified into law that people should be paid the same regardless of sex for the same work.

Justice Ginsberg was on the bench for the 2018 Virginia House of Delegates vs. Bethune-Hill decision to dismiss the appeal. In short, that case dealt with the issues of racial redistricting and gerrymandering. As plaintiff, the Virginia House of Delegates wanted to appeal its state's high court decision that the redistricting map after the 2010 US Census was racially discriminatory and needed to be redrawn.

The Virginia Attorney General at the time--Eric Holder-- was in support of the appellate court's decision after it had reconsidered the redistricting case. It was the Virginia House of Delegates that made the decision to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The first time that the Supreme Court heard the case, it was decided for the lower court to reconsider its decision to uphold the redistricting. After reconsidering the case, the appellate court decided the redistricting was not valid due to racial reasons. It was at that time in history that the Virginia House of Delegates decided to appeal. Justice Ginsberg gave the majority opinion to not grant the appeal and to uphold the lower court's ruling. Justice Ginsberg explains that exclusive state representation in civil litigation matter lies in the state's Attorney General, and thus the House of Delegates as plaintiff "... lacks authority to displace Virginia's Attorney General as the State's Representative."

Power is at play in the greatest court room of our nation. Supreme Court Judges do not play power outside this courtroom. But as the RBG documentary explains, Justices are human too and mistakes of decorum can happen. Justice Ginsburg made a few remarks in response to President Trump winning the 2016 Presidential Election. It was a slip of the tongue.

Now we are in midst of yet another Presidential election. Justice Ginsburg's words that broke decorum are remembered with great ripple effect. After the 2016 Presidential election, Justice Ginsburg stated that "... with Donald Trump as our president ... For the country, it could be four years. For the court, it could be — I don’t even want to contemplate that."

It was last month that President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to take Justice Ginsburg's bench. Earlier in his presidency, he nominated Judge Brett M Kavanaugh as an Associate Judge to the Supreme Court. We see that power continues to be played. For now we anxiously wait for the 2020 Presidential Election results. Moving forward after this 2020 Presidential Election, Justice Ginsburg's lasting legacy will stay with us and inspire us to fight the good fight.