WASHINGTON (AP) — Capping days of commemorations of her extraordinary life, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg becomes the first woman in American history to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol.
Seriously appropriate. It shouldn’t have taken this long, with all the great women that have served this nation. But that Ruth is first is entirely appropriate.
This is a fitting tribute to a very consequential woman.
Just watching the pomp and circumstance for the late justice Ginsburg .Brings to mind a conversation I had with my late and great mother in law and may she continue to rest in peace.We were watching a funeral many years ago and she said “show it to me while I am here” .Well Former Justice Ginsburg won’t have to worry about that,she saw what people thought about her and felt their respect and admiration for her while she was here.
Opera Diva Denyce Graves just sang a spiritual “Deep River” to open the service. It was beautiful, moving and emotional. These two amazing women had a personal history. From the Philly Inquirer:
“Isn’t it something? Here we have this sincere person who was very soft-spoken and not very revealing, this powerhouse of a woman who comes in this teeny-tiny package. And yet she loved theatrics and all that surrounded the theater,” said mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, who often performed for Ginsburg and was close friends with her.
“Theater was an escape," said Graves, who performed on the program when Ginsburg was awarded the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal earlier this month. "With all of the things she had to be concerned with, she could forget for a while and could enter this world that was beautiful.”
Opera was a persistent soundtrack in her life. Significantly, the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal ceremony featured performances by Brownlee, bass Soloman Howard, and soprano Renée Fleming along with Graves .
A decade ago, music also had a presence at a memorial service for Ginsburg’s husband, Martin D. Ginsburg, when Graves and Philadelphia pianist Laura Ward performed Grace , a song by Michael Tilson Thomas.
“I’ll never forget her face when Denyce was four feet in front of her singing this song,” said Ward. “She had this sweetest expression of gratitude.”
ETA: Ms Graves ended the ceremony with a lovely performance of “America Anthem,” a song that was written for Ken Burns Civil War. It closes with these exceptionally fitting words:
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you
I was sure the Shithead would try to deny her the honor. I guess someone finally persuaded him that he doesn’t control the Capitol.
Fuck these disrespectful assholes just I cannot even…
A woman is lying in state in the United States Capitol for the first time in American history, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy decided not to attend her memorial.
— David Gura (@davidgura) September 25, 2020
Absolutely beautiful. FK those petty aholes who have decided to make this ‘political’ because they have nothing else.
Let them say of me
I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings
I received
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you
I am in tears again
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was five feet of raw courage. I fear we shall not see her like again anytime soon. She did indeed give her best to America.
It was very moving… you could tell it wasn’t easy for her to sing.