EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release | September 18, 2020
Camp James at Northridge - Tannersville, Pennsylvania

Statement by Andrew McKeough on the passing of
Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Tonight is a night that we will remember for years to come. I am in a state of shock and deep sadness. Justice Ginsburg was a true revolutionist. A pioneer for justice and the equality of all humans. Forgive me as I am at a loss for words. Her term of 27 years on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States will be but a mere blip of her legacy that will follow for an eternity to come.

Just last night we honored Justice Ginsburg as she received the National Constitution Center’s prestigious Liberty Medal in Philadelphia. Over the past 11 years of being a guest at the Liberty Medal, I have seen dignitaries and heads of state awarded the medal. Each one of them have left their individual impact on the fight for liberty and justice across the world. Justice Ginsburg lived and breathed those words with each breath she took. Even her last.

Tonight, I have been reading countless tributes that have been flooding in. Each one holds a special connection and impact from the life and legacy of Justice Ginsburg. There is not one person in this country - possibly even the world - who hasn’t felt that impact. A revolutionist - by definition - is someone who wants to change the world — not just sitting around talking about it, but actually doing something to bring about change. That definition is what describes the letters R.B.G. in whole.

Our country was built on the principles of democracy. A democracy that has withstood any other form of government in the world. It is our duty as citizens of that democracy to uphold those principles to the standards in which our nation evolves. The words that have adorned the Supreme Court building in Washington, DC all these years read, “Equal Justice Under Law”. As our nation evolves, so do our laws and so does justice. That justice was what Justice Ginsburg fought for each day and it is what we - as citizens - must continue to fight for. In every revolution there is a leader and there are the followers. In this revolution for equality and justice; Justice Ginsburg was that leader and we are her followers. We must continue this fight. Together. Under one nation. Indivisible.

-Andrew K. McKeough