Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, gender equality activist and cultural and feminist icon, died Friday, 18 September, 2020. The Supreme Court announced her death, saying the cause was complications from metastatic cancer of the pancreas. The court, in a statement, said Ginsburg died at her home in Washington, D.C., surrounded by family. She was 87.


Heroes and heroines have a special place in Hellenismos, as they had in ancient Hellas. These were humans--most believed to have at least a part divine heritage--who were considered so brave, so skillful, so extraordinary in their lifetime that they became revered. Some were priests or priestesses of a temple, some excelled in battle, others were skilled healers or good rulers. Once they passed to the realm of Hades, their names were remembered at least once a year, because the ancient Hellenes believed that if the name and deeds of a person were remembered, they would live forever and potentially look out for those they had looked out for before.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of my heroes. Her intelligence, poise, kindness, dedication, and dogged determination have shaped my life in ways I've only become aware of in later years. The news of her passing, so close before the reelections, strikes me with terror and great sorrow. Ginsburg was a bastion; a beacon of hope and light in dark, dark times. She was a hero of justice, and Diké weeps today, as I do. And Ruth Bader Ginsburg? I'm sure she is so pissed that she couldn't be here to sit out the shitshow that is America's political landscape.

Architect of the legal fight for women's and men's rights in the 1970s, Ginsburg served 27 years on the nation's highest court, becoming its most prominent member. Her death will inevitably set in motion what promises to be a nasty and tumultuous political battle over who will succeed her, and it thrusts the Supreme Court vacancy into the spotlight of the presidential campaign.

Ginsburg's death will have profound consequences for the court and the country. Inside the court, not only is the leader of the liberal wing gone, but with the court about to open a new term, the chief justice no longer holds the controlling vote in closely contested cases.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves behind life-long pursuits of justice, equality for men and women alike, and a legacy that will never be forgotten. In fact, I suspect it will be felt strongly in the time to come. 

If you weren't planning to vote in the election, please, vote in honor of her.

I feel defeated today, but in that defeat is also hope. Ginsburg never gave up her fight, just relinquished battles. With her passing, a battle was lost, but not the fight. Her power is in all of us. In every protestor, in every court case fought and won, in every election vote. Her voice is the voice of equality and justice, and I can hear it roaring. 

When we honor the heroes of our religion, I'll set a plate for her at the table for the rest of my life. She died fighting our battles, and that's true heroism. She must be remembered, her impact must be felt, and her legacy must live. In us, the people, not just inside the USA but also outside of it. 

Rest in peace, Ruth. You will be so very sorely missed.