RBG

I wrote on Facebook the impact that Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death had on me.  I said that I don't cry for politicians or judges, but I cried when I found out that RBG had died.   

Tony and I saw the movie about her life, "On the Basis of Sex," and the documentary, RBG.  Like her, both were powerful and thought provoking.   I have often said, that the only basic difference between men and women is the manner in which we pee.  People would laugh when I said that, but think about it.   Think about that for a minute.  Do men have an extra pair of hands?  Legs built of steel?  X-ray vision?  No.  Do they have an extra brain?  No.  So why would anyone think that women are intellectually inferior?  Why would law professors criticize women for being accepted into a law program because they "took up a space a man could have."  Did women take different tests to get into the program?  Was there a pink test that had easy questions on it?  No.  At every turn in her youth, she was questioned.  Not for her ability, but for her gender.  

RBG was my hero because as my career progressed, I faced some of the same scrutiny, and it made me angry.   Years ago when I worked for Chemical Bank, our division moved into a new facility, the management team took a tour.    When we got to my office, a male peer (Vice President, exact same title) of mine turned to our SVP and asked, "How come she gets such a big office?"  Keep in mind, our offices were the same size.  Our SVP, responded, "To reflect her responsibilities, just like yours."   Why would my male peer even think he had the right to question the size of my office?

There was also a time when family members were discussing work.  My husband, who has always been proud of my work ethic, said, "Jan is at her desk every day by 7:00, even though the work day doesn't start until 8:30."  At that point, a male family member looked at me and said, "why, do you have to make the coffee?"  Tony jumped back into the conversation, and said, "she has people who make coffee for her."  I wouldn't ask people to make me coffee, but I got his point.  The male family member didn't.  He wasn't criticizing me, to him the only reason why a female would be at her desk an hour and a half early was to get the coffee ready for the men. 

These are the attitudes that Ruth faced so many years ago.  I'm guessing our daughters are still facing those same attitudes.  Why?    Women are as good as men and every woman should know that, remember that and live by that. 

And so, my hero has died.  Here are some of her words that made her my hero :

"A gender line helps to keep women, not on a pedestal, but in a cage."

"Woman belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn't be that women are the exception."

"I would like to be remembered as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability."

                                            And my personal favorite.....

When asked when will there be enough women on the Supreme Court, she replied:

"When there are nine."  (The audience she was addressing, laughed at her comment.)  She explained, "There have been nine men on the Supreme Court and no one ever raised a question about that."

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not "anti-man," she was pro, "be the best you can be."

Now, that's a hero.