The Passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

It’s been more than 24 hours since I heard the news, but still just very sad on the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I hope she rests in peace and rejoins her late husband in the afterlife. She has done so much for us, as much as she could. Her life story should inspire us; her dissents should push us to do and be better.

To paraphrase one of her dissents, don’t throw away your umbrella even if it’s not raining.

The exact quote, by the way, from Justice Ginsburg’s dissent in Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013), in which Justice Ginsburg disagreed with the removal of the enforcement of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act: “Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”  (I’m probably much too simplifying her dissent; go ahead and read the whole decision and dissent!).

We might want to keep in mind why we have laws, and remember the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg during these very trying times. — ssw15

(cross-posted on sswslitinmotion.tumblr.com)

Taking a Moment to Pause and Reflect 2020

Try to remember the kind of September

When life was slow and oh, so mellow.

Try to remember the kind of September

When grass was green and grain was yellow.

-“Try to Remember,” from The Fantasticks.

It’s hard to believe that it will be 19 years from one of the darkest days in our history. It’s hard to believe that we’re going to make our annual observation of this day during a pandemic that has taken so many lives. It’s hard to believe that our country is so divided, when the most hopeful and strangest feeling from the early days after September 11, 2001, came from seeing how we tried to come together to save lives or to do what we can to keep going with our lives. It’s still so strange to think how that blue sky on that day could be so horrible.

There are tensions and changes to how we make our observations, as WABC Eyewitness News reported. I hope we let our better selves prevail.

I’ll also share the link to Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter’s post on his thoughts about how this year’s observations of September 11 really is not like the other years. I don’t think that means we forget; I think that it means we try something different, to be mindful of our current circumstances.

On a lighter note, I share this link about how ex-NY Mets players Al Leiter, John Franco, Robin Ventura, and Todd Zeile still make an annual visit to a firehouse since 9/11 (even if it means doing it via Zoom). There’s something heart-warming about hearing that story, as we again head into a time of sad and hopeful memories.

I keep sharing Eyewitness News links since I happen to come upon them through Facebook. What’s odder is remembering WABC was where I had most of my coverage on that September 11, 2001, and watching Peter Jennings that night, when that eerie smell from the remains of Ground Zero even permeated my end of South Brooklyn. I was in my 3L year of law school, and we were right across the East River. I suppose that 9/11 really is my generation’s version of how you remember where you were when JFK died moment.

Some photos of memorials. They’re not new photos, but I still like them anyway.

The above is a photo of the World Trade Center Memorial that either my brother or I had taken some years ago.

Another photo I had taken some years ago, at the Brooklyn Promenade.
I had taken this photo some years ago at the Brooklyn Promenade.

Take a moment to pause and reflect, and thanks for being here. — ssw15