My affection for Ms. Ginsburg comes as no surprise to anyone close to me (well, except for those who knew me only when I was young, and/or a young adult – growing up, obediently, in a very “traditional” home). Meaning, in a nutshell/as an example: when I expressed an interest in applying to attend West Point (from where both my father and grandfather graduated and where I had been born), my father’s response was, “That’s no place for a lady.” That settled that, and for at least another decade of my adult life, a personal thought that would place me outside that boundary defined by the authority/male in my life, never occurred to me. I can fairly and accurately say that I was raised in a way that was almost as if I was raised a generation before. Crazy but true.
While such an upbringing certainly slowed the process by which I came to genuinely hero-worship someone like Justice Ginsburg, no matter, it did not prevent it. Fact is, I was also raised with a strong sense of the value of justice – and for the inherent value of truth. The truth is – we were all created equal. Though many of the social structures I had been surrounded with failed to conform to this reality – the TRUTH of it sang through, loud and strong, still (whether the men I was surrounded by liked it or not). lol
I believe if it weren’t for the changes in our society that Ginsburg worked toward, I may never have had the opportunity to SEE the truth that has led to such inspiration in my life, and my passion to see all women fulfill their full potential. It simply cannot be overstated what Justice Ginsburg (starting well before she was even appointed to the Bench) has accomplished for generations of women (and our culture as a whole) to open the doors of opportunity, level the playing field, and provide protection for the vulnerable in systems governed by patriarchial and so-called “complementarian” worldviews. For her work toward accomplishing same, I am thrilled to see this movie and to see what more I will come to learn about the leadership of this powerhouse woman.
Last but not least, is the RBG Movie being shown in your area? Are you going and possibly interested in connecting with other GIRL ATTORNEY Members in your area (maybe grab a bite/drinks before or after – maybe kid-friendly/maybe not)? If so, please FEEL FREE to create an EVENT in your State Group (tell folks which city, which theatre, which time, and any other relevant details). They can buy their own tickets, and y’all can coordinate a meetup!
XO,
Susan Carns Curtiss, Founder/CEO Girl Attorney, LLC
From The Washington Post authored by Robert Barns:
“At one point in the new documentary “RBG,” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her granddaughter Clara Spera are looking over a scrapbook Ginsburg’s late husband Marty put together for her.
Marty’s idea was to solicit letters from his wife’s admirers on the occasion of her 50th birthday. His own submission said that Ginsburg could take great pride in her accomplishments as a lawyer and judge, but that there is “no way you take greater pride than I do.”
Spera asks her grandmother: “Do you read these often?”
Ginsburg answers nonchalantly, never looking up: “No, I never read them.”
“You should. They’re very nice,” Spera says. “If you ever need a boost of self-confidence.”
Seems unlikely. Self-assurance would be an essential attribute for a woman born in the 1930s, the first in her family to go to college, one of nine women among a Harvard Law School class of more than 500, the second female to sit on the nation’s highest court after about 200 years of only men.”
