The death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, United States Supreme Court Justice, has brought both grief and uncertainty across America. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not only an amazing woman in politics but an important cultural icon. On her deathbed Ginsburg made her dying wish known to her granddaughter when she said, “my most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed.”

According to a poll by the Business Insider, “58% of American voters think the Senate should not fill Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court vacancy until after the election,” but Ginsburg’s death presents an opportunity for the Republican party to secure a conservative majority on the high court for feasibly decades to come.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Sen. Mitch McConnell “has already pledged that lawmakers will consider a new Supreme Court nomination from Trump, despite having blocked a nomination from then-President Barack Obama to replace Justice Antonin Scalia more than 200 days before the 2016 election.”

Trump has also tweeted that he will work to fill Ginsburg’s seat “without delay.” On Friday Joe Biden tweeted, “Let me be clear: The voters should pick a President, and that President should select a successor to Justice Ginsburg.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska stated she “would not vote to confirm” a replacement for Ginsberg because she said her replacement is something “that the people needed to decide.”

After Ginsburg’s death Trump made a statement that I surprisingly found heartfelt and thoughtful. The part of the statement that most resonated with me was when he said, “Renowned for her brilliant mind and powerful dissents at the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg demonstrated that one can disagree without being disagreeable towards one’s colleagues or different points of views. Her opinions, including well known decisions regarding the legal equality of women and the disabled, have inspired all Americans, and generations of great legal minds.”

I know that Ginsburg’s death has caused a lot of political uncertainty in an already uncertain time, but we need to make sure we remember who Ruth Bader Ginsburg was and honor her memory as a strong woman who spent her life fighting for justice and fairness for all.

Lindsey Ulrey is a freshman political science major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or lrulrey@eiu.edu.