Ruth Finds a Husband
“Girls were expected to find a husband.” That was the state of things in America in 1940. Ruth Bader did exactly that. Ironically, however, she met her husband while attending college and it was through the very active support of her husband—and father-in-law—that Ruth committed to going to law school. The rest, as they say, is history.
No Dogs on the Supreme Court
One of the most egregious and disturbing images in the book is a sign based on actual historical fact which Ruth was forced to experience as a young girl: “No Dogs or Jews Allowed.” The book also reports that she faced anti-Semitic description in college by fellow female students—the same ones being discriminated against by men for being women. The irony is so thick it may be difficult to traverse even before getting to the fact that the single most exclusive club in American government—the nine justices sitting on the bench of the Supreme Court—was eventually dominated by…a Jewish woman. So far, no dogs have broken that barrier which may go to prove the difference to most, though certainly not all.
Penmanship
Ruth was one of millions of left-handed kids who were forced to learn to write with their right hand. The result, as one might expect, was horrible penmanship. Ironically, her penmanship using her left hand was not only impeccable but would produce a signature emblazoned across Supreme Court decisions.
This Court Is Supreme, You Say?
Members of the Supreme Court for most of American history were white, male, and proud of it. No one really knows why. After all, these are the same geniuses who put into the record—forever and ever—such ideas as “Woman has always been dependent upon man” and the natural (and proper!) state of being timid and delicate make women unfit for working in civil government. The irony is implied in the status enjoyed by Ginsburg.
Best Buds
One of the most ironic aspects of the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg is her close friendship with fellow justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia generally stood in stark and steadfast opposition to Ginsburg on nearly every issue which arrived before them, yet they somehow managed to overcome these policy differences to find common ground on personal tastes.
