Ruth Bader Ginsburg Had Some Very Warm Words About Justice Kennedy's Retirement
There's no denying that Justice Anthony Kennedy was a pinnacle figure within the Supreme Court. Well, now that he's officially announced his plans to step down from his position, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's response to Justice Kennedy's retirement is just as supportive as I thought it would be. Justice Ginsburg, you truly are an inspiration.
On Wednesday, June 27, Justice Anthony Kennedy announced that he would be retiring from the Supreme Court. Although this shocked the entire nation, it looks like Justice Ginsburg has nothing but glowing remarks to say about her soon to be former colleague. In a statement, she praised Kennedy and said how much she'll miss him.
She said,
Justice Kennedy is a true gentleman, a caring jurist, and a grand colleague in all respects. I will miss the pleasure of his company at our Conference table, his helpful suggestions on circulating opinions, his recommendations of art exhibitions to visit with my chambers staff, and much more. For the good he has done during the 43 years he has served as a member of the Federal Judiciary, he has earned a rousing Bravo.
I don't know about y'all, but that speech has me choked up a little bit. Justice Kennedy's departure is sure to make a devastating impact on the Supreme Court, but it's so nice to see that there's no bad blood between him and Justice Ginsburg.
Kennedy was nominated by President Ronald Reagan and took his oath of office on Feb. 18, 1988, but ultimately decided to step down from his role to spend more time with his family. Kennedy broke the news to the public on Wednesday June 27 through a resignation letter, which expressed his gratitude for being able to serve on the Supreme Court for 43 years.
“It has been the greatest honor and privilege to serve our nation in the federal judiciary for 43 years, 30 of those years on the Supreme Court," Kennedy said in his resignation letter.
Following Kennedy's resignation, the White House released a statement thanking the Justice for his years of dedicated service.
"A Californian — like the President who appointed him — Justice Kennedy is a true man of letters," the statement said. "During his tenure on the Court, he authored landmark opinions in every significant area of constitutional law, most notably on equal protection under the law, the separation of powers, and the First Amendment’s guarantees of freedom of speech and religion."
Although retirement might sound sweet to Kennedy, this might mean bad news for the future of the Supreme Court. Kennedy's departure means that Donald Trump will have his second chance to pick a justice to the court. So, there's a fair possibility that the Supreme Court is about to become a lot more conservative in the near future, as Trump has promised to fill the court with anti-abortion judges. Plus, with Justice Ginsburg, now the oldest Supreme Court Justice having just celebrated her 85th birthday, Twitter is totally stressed that she might step down before Trump's presidency is over.
Even though Kennedy's resignation might be bad news for many of us, let's not forget the incredible achievements the Supreme Court Justice has accomplished over his time. During his 43 years of service, Kennedy both authored and co-authored historic cases including Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 — which legalized same-sex marriage. Despite being appointed by a Republican president, Kennedy became known as a justice that didn't confine his beliefs to "left and right" ideologies, and always voted in what he thought was right. So, now that Kennedy plans to leave come July 31, many wonder what this means for the future of gay rights as well as women's reproductive rights.
The future is always a scary place, but it might have become just a bit more terrifying. Here's to hoping Justice Ginsburg, and the rest of the court, still continue to fight for the American people.
