The death of the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has only added uncertainty to the upcoming presidential election as Congress prepares to fight over who will replace her.
In honor of Justice Ginsburg’s legacy, Americans across the country attended vigils Saturday night to pay their respects to a woman they saw as a champion of equal rights.
With candles, flashlights and cardboard signs in hand, nearly 100 people gathered near the steps of the Federal Building in Moscow to do just that.
Christine Gilmore, who helped organize the memorial, said she was urged on by organizers of the Women’s March, who called women to gather at local courthouses at 8 p.m. Saturday.
“The email encouraged us to gather peacefully, and I thought, ‘Why not, it’s Moscow, people will do it,’” Gilmore said. “I felt that it’s important to our town.”
In attendance was City Councilor Sandra Kelly, who said she saw friends on social media expressing profound sadness and disbelief over Justice Ginsburg’s death. When she heard the news, Kelly said it felt like a dagger went through her heart.
“Because of COVID-19, everything is harder,” Kelly said. “It’s not like you can just grab your friends and go have some coffee together and talk about it. It’s important to grieve together.”
According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Justice Ginsburg’s body will lie in state in the United States Capitol on Friday, an unusual honor which has never before been granted to a woman. The distinction has not been bestowed since the death of William Howard Taft in 1930, who served as chief justice from 1921 until his death after having served as president.
Despite the somber mood, the vigil ended with a call to action. When Gilmore addressed the crowd, she reminded them of what’s at stake in November.
“For tonight, reflect, pray and rest,” Gilmore said. “But tomorrow, we carry her message and her legacy far and wide. In November, when you go to the polls, tell them that Ruth sent you.”
Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @apalermooo.