OCTOBER 8 • 2020 | 21
about equality was something
that I walked into the clerkship
thinking that that’
s why I want-
ed to be there learning from
her.
”
Schlanger wrote a piece for
Time magazine after Ginsburg’
s
death, reiterating what kind of
warrior Ginsburg was for equal-
ity under the law.
“RBG’
s crucial contribution
to America was as a stalwart,
eloquent fighter for expanding
the scope of ‘
We the People,
’
pushing the United States to be
its best self. Whether she wrote
in majority or in dissent, her
voice on the Supreme Court is
irreplaceable,
” Schlanger wrote
in the piece.
Jonathan
Weinberg, a
professor of law
at Wayne State
University, clerked
for Ginsburg from
1983-1984, also
before she was on the Supreme
Court. He also heard about
Ginsburg’
s death during Rosh
Hashanah services on Zoom.
“Before Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
it was simply taken for granted
that women, legally, were not
expected to, did not and could
not play the same role in soci-
ety as men,
” Weinberg said.
“Ginsburg wasn’
t the only per-
son to play a part in changing
that, but she played a tremen-
dously important part in bring-
ing us to a world where it’
s so
much more taken for granted.
”
ARTIST PAINTS MURAL IN
HONOR OF JUSTICE GINSBURG
Edward Stross, owner of
Roseville’
s Gonzo Art Studio,
painted a mural over a two-day
period honoring Ginsburg on
the brick wall of his Gratiot
Avenue building. Stross was
influenced by her life’
s accom-
plishments.
“She represents giving peo-
ple a voice,
” Stross said. “She’
s
a beautiful woman physically
and on the inside, and once you
start doing someone’
s portrait
you’
re able to look in their face
and their eyes and you’
re able
to become instantly closer to
the individual.
”
Stross has been painting
murals since 1996, but a
specific mural he made of
Michelangelo’
s Creation of
Love years ago led to the city
ordering him to remove it and
eventually taking him to court.
His subsequent experiences in
the court system gave him a
new appreciation of Ginsburg’
s
work.
“The ACLU took the case. It
went all the way up to the State
Supreme Court, and I won,
”
Stross said. “That’
s another part
of the reason why I did this. I
really appreciate the high courts
that correct these decisions.
”
Stross said he has received
some abuse online from people
who weren’
t fans of Ginsburg,
but he is moving forward and
weathering the storm, just as
Ginsburg would.
“She didn’
t allow people to
determine what her life was
going to be,
” Stross said. “She
was a fighter for the underdog.
”
Jonathan
Weinberg
“... her voice on the Supreme
Court is irreplaceable.”
— MARGO SCHLANGER