by Leslie Layton
Chicoans turned out this evening at City Plaza to honor the memory of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion of civil rights, women’s rights and voting rights, who modeled courage and toughness in her personal struggles as well as in her professional life.
Ginsburg passed Sept. 18 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, and vigils attended by supporters — most heart-broken, many despairing — were taking place throughout the country, including this one at the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. The Chico vigil was organized by the group Women on Reproductive Defense (WORD).
“We are a group that is in great solidarity with women’s rights, and reproductive rights are a part of that,” said Ellen Walker, one of the founders of WORD. “Women’s rights are human rights, and we emphasize the right for women to be able to control their bodies. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the votes we knew we could count on to not reverse Roe versus Wade.”