Thousands gathered outside the Supreme Court as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg returned for her last visit on Wednesday, including more than 100 of her former clerks. Justice Ginsburg passed away on Sept. 18 at the age of 87 after serving 27 years as a Supreme Court justice. The news shook individuals nationwide who struggled to process the loss of this trailblazing feminist icon known for her “notorious” blunt personality.
Justice Ginsburg was honored in a private ceremony attended by other justices. The ceremony was followed by a public viewing during which her former clerks said they would not leave the casket, CNN reported. About 120 clerks from her days at the appellate court as well as the Supreme Court were in attendance; some served as honorary pallbearers while others lined up on the court’s grand marble steps.
According to The New York Times, Ginsburg’s coffin now rests on a catafalque (a decorated wooden frame on which the coffin of a distinguished person rests) on loan from Congress. It’s the same catafalque that once held President Abraham Lincoln’s remains. Justice Ginsburg will lie in state at the Capitol on Friday and is expected to be buried next week at Arlington National Cemetery.
Lines across the Supreme Court and its massive plaza continued to grow Wednesday as mourners gathered with signs and other mementos celebrating Justice Ginsburg.
People of all ages could be seen holding signs reading: “Rest in Power,” “It’s up to us now,” and my favorite: “For when she haunts you.” This last poster included the Ghostbusters’ phone number.
Nicknamed “The Notorious RBG,” Justice Ginsburg affected the lives of not only those she worked with but others across the country.
“The impact she’s had on my wife and my daughters, there’s just no way to envision what their lives would be like without the work of Justice Ginsburg,” Doug Smith told The Washington Post. Smith and his daughter spent the night on the street waiting for the ceremony. “I could not not be here. I had to come down and pay my respects.”
But of course, while the country mourns Justice Ginsburg and hopes to honor her death, not everyone is willing to do so. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz objected to language used in a ceremonial resolution honoring Justice Ginsburg, which resulted in the failure of a resolution in the Senate on Tuesday. Cruz objected to respecting Ginsburg’s dying wish that a successor not be chosen until after the presidential inauguration in 2021. He called the language "partisan,” adding that “under the Constitution, members of the judiciary do not appoint their own successors."
During her time on the bench, Justice Ginsburg established a reputation for making key decisions on cases dealing with abortion rights, same-sex marriage, voting rights, and immigration, among numerous others. Known for writing strong dissents on these issues when the Court ruled in the other direction, one of her last Supreme Court votes ensured that gay, bisexual, and transgender workers be protected under civil rights law.
"It makes absolute sense that Justice Ginsburg has become an idol for younger generations," Justice Elena Kagan said at the New York Bar Association in 2014. "Her impact on America and American law has been extraordinary."
But while the country mourns this heavy loss, our work will not stop. We must continue to fight against Trump and his administration in honor of The Notorious RBG.