Lightfoot: Honor Ginsburg by voting
Hundreds of Chicagoans gathered Saturday evening in Federal Plaza to collectively mourn feminist icon Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died Friday of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer at her home in Washington at 87.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, introduced as another small but mighty woman, stood on a stone bench that acted as a stage for speeches. Flowers and candles were placed around her feet. She donned a mask that read “VOTE,” and spoke into the mic, “We stand here tonight with heavy hearts for the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but we should draw inspiration from her life, her struggle and her fight for us.”
“You must thank Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” Lightfoot said, pausing for emphasis after each name, for women’s ability to work without being discriminated against, to earn a wage without the worry it will be taken away and to control their bodies.
Lightfoot spoke about how, less than 12 hours after Ginsburg’s death, President Donald Trump released his list of Supreme Court justice picks. When Lightfoot mentioned Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s name, the crowd booed in unison.
“The forces of darkness and evil were already at work,” Lightfoot said. “The hypocrisy of these people know no limit.”
Lightfoot encouraged the crowd to fight. She asked them to raise their hands in solidarity. They repeated after her, “In the name of Ruth … I will fight … In the name of Ruth … I will vote … and in the name of Ruth, we will win!”
“This election means more now than ever, and in the name of Ruth, we must fight and we must win,” Lightfoot said. “We cannot allow them to tear us apart.”
Before Lightfoot spoke, the night started off with audio from Ginsburg’s speeches. A rabbi said a prayer, and U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, a close Lightfoot ally, also spoke.
Kelly talked about how she found out about Ginsburg’s death from a group text. In response to the news, only one person could respond with “OMG.”
“She kept working, hearing cases and writing opinions, despite numerous hospitalizations,” Kelly said.
Kelly then went on to quote the musical “Hamilton,” which she’s seen six times, she said, “Legacy, what is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you may never get to see.”
“Fortunately, RBG was able to see the early stages of the garden she planted,” Kelly said.
Kelly counted off RBG’s accomplishments including allowing female students to enter the Virginia Military Institute and striking down a Texas law that imposed rules on reproductive health clinics.
“It’s our responsibility to carry on her legacy,” Kelly said. “We need to vote. We need to make sure our family, friends and associates vote. We need to make sure total strangers to us vote.”
Some in the crowd cheered “Yes!” and others clapped.
Deborah Lane, who works for the Chicago Transit Authority and has worked with Women’s March Chicago, sang “Amazing Grace” to the crowd.