Photo: L.Weikel

#WWRBGD

What a blow to our already stressed collective psyche. I’m referring, of course, to our loss this evening of the iconic Ruth Bader Ginsburg, second female Supreme Court Justice of this United States of America, to the unrelenting ravages of cancer. As soon as the world knew of her passing, my phone lit up in reaction to the profound grief so many of my friends, family, and colleagues are feeling in this moment. It is as if 2020 refuses to relent. We’re being pounded into submission, forced to face head-on the stark reality – and profundity – of the choices facing us. And in the face of our grief, in the face of these choices, I ask: #WWRBGD?

Let me be clear: I am not being glib or cute in asking the question. Perhaps asking the question in the form of a hashtag lends it a more pedestrian patina than I’d like, but I actually think the fierce, dynamic champion of human rights would chuckle. After all, she embraced her status as ‘the Notorious RGB,’ and she undoubtedly knew of the hashtag #WWJD. It seems only fitting that #WWRGBD take its rightful place as a question the answer to which might guide our actions in the days to come.

I ask the question, #WWRGBD, because it is too easy for us to get lost in grief and lose our focus on what’s truly important. Yes, her life had historic significance and impact. And goodness knows, she fought an Herculean battle to remain on the bench until, ideally, a new president could be elected.

But it wasn’t meant to be.

We Must Not Give Up

And when I consider how tenaciously she fought throughout her life, not only for equality, fairness, and justice under the law, but also to model collegiality, open-heartedness, integrity, and grace, I cannot imagine us demeaning her efforts by giving up the fight to soundly defeat Donald Trump and his enablers in the House and Senate.

We must not give up. We must not surrender to grief or despondency. We know what’s at stake and we must use her death as a rallying cry, a rod that stiffens our spines, and a torch that leads us to do whatever it takes to reclaim our country and the principles and values upon which it stands.

When our energy flags, when we are slapped in the face yet again with the hypocrisy of the Mitch McConnells, Donald Trumps, William Barrs, and Ted Cruzes (just to name a few), we must stop and ask ourselves: #WWRBGD?

I have no doubt that she would tell us to suck it up and move forward. In my mind, that’s the best way we can honor her memory and her legacy.

(T-434)