# Darn it Justice Ginsburg, stop getting cancer! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 21, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500 "2018-12-21T18:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/1 "2018-12-21T18:04:52Z")
I know that this is technically your third bout with cancer but we really really need you to hang in there so shake it off and get back to work! You’ve beaten cancer twice before, and you can do it again. [link](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ruth-bader-ginsburg-undergoes-surgery/ar-BBRh3Kl) Seriously, though, maybe the fractured ribs were a blessing in disguise as they seemed to catch the nodules early enough to remove them completely before any other spread and best wishes for a fast and easy recovery. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/2 "2018-12-21T19:15:12Z")
RBG is a straight up bad ass. Hell, she doesn’t even go to the hospital anymore; she demands that doctors come to her and operate while she’s in court - with no anesthetic. In any event, wishing her a speedy recovery. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/3 "2018-12-21T19:22:44Z")
Cancer _always_ wins in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/4 "2018-12-21T20:49:30Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Cancer _always_ wins in the end. So does Father Time. I wish RBG all the best in the world and I hope she can ride it out. But if she steps down from the court tomorrow to deal with health issues, nobody should say shit about it. She’s done her job and doesn’t owe anybody anything no matter who is president. ---
**Author:** ![RavenSong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/73ab20/32.png) [@RavenSong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RavenSong)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/5 "2018-12-21T20:55:12Z")
I didn’t know she was sick. I knew she was diabetic I don’t see her holding out for two more years ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/6 "2018-12-21T20:59:04Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > So does Father Time. I wish RBG all the best in the world and I hope she can ride it out. But if she steps down from the court tomorrow to deal with health issues, nobody should say shit about it. She’s done her job and doesn’t owe anybody anything no matter who is president. Yeah, but… but… you know… that situation in Washington, you know… Oh nevermind, you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/7 "2018-12-21T23:18:03Z")
> [@RavenSong](#): > > I didn’t know she was sick. I knew she was diabetic > I don’t see her holding out for two more years I’m hoping her living will says “use all possible methods to prolong my life”. There is no 25th amendment for SCOTUS, so I assume that the House would have to impeach and the Senate convict to remove her as long as she is breathing. An 8-person court is better than the GOP installing another Gorsuch/Kavanaugh. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/8 "2018-12-22T08:49:56Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > So does Father Time. I wish RBG all the best in the world and I hope she can ride it out. But if she steps down from the court tomorrow to deal with health issues, nobody should say shit about it. She’s done her job and doesn’t owe anybody anything no matter who is president. I’m just so fucking tired of this shit. No, she doesn’t “owe anyone anything.” But that is just a stupid way to look at things. You don’t do things because you owe people, and you don’t get upset at people because they owed you something. People _will_ be upset, because, if Trump can appoint another judge, it would basically give the anti-abortion, anti-civil right crowd a majority on the court, completely undermining everything. **This is not about any one person,** and framing it that way is absolute fucking bullshit. I definitely am pissed at Kennedy for stepping down when he did. There was no reason he couldn’t stay on. If it was becoming hard, he can delegate pretty much everything except the actual vote. Ginsburg has shown that she gets it, as she was going to retire but stopped. She knows it’s not about her. I hope she continues. If she has to have others doing all the work, fine. There is no way the House will impeach her, so she can stay until she says otherwise. Hell, as long as she doesn’t resign, it doesn’t matter if she’s unconscious. The House can just say that she’s still there, and refuse to allow her to be removed. And, regardless of some artificial fairness, this is perfectly acceptable until we can get a Democrat back in office and actually fix the issue with them shutting out Garland. This is our fucking country and the bodily autonomy of women, the rights of LGBT Americans. The rights of voting so they won’t be permanently GOPed. I’m not doing this bullshit “She doesn’t owe you anything” crap. No, no one owes anyone to do the right thing. But it is the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/9 "2018-12-22T14:57:03Z")
If she needs a lung she can have one of mine. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/10 "2018-12-22T16:33:21Z")
The point of “she doesn’t owe anyone anything” Is that if she gets to where she can’t take it anymore, it’s not your place or mine to judge if she should have been stronger or tougher. We should assume she did as much as she could. Would you curse her name, call her guilty of an ethical lapse, if tomorrow she decided she had so little time left that she wanted to give it to her family instead of the court? Would it be sin? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/11 "2018-12-22T16:52:53Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > I know that this is technically your third bout with cancer More likely part of her first or second bouts (she has a history of colon and pancreatic cancer, and while no story I’ve seen mentions the primary site (typically detectable via pathology), the presence of multiple lung nodules suggests mets rather than primary lung cancer). Not a great prognosis, but she seems to be a tough old bird. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/12 "2018-12-22T18:14:51Z")
Exactly what **MandaJo** said. She’s _85_ and has gone through _multiple bouts of cancer_ - criticizing her if she decided tomorrow that she just couldn’t continue would just be shitty. Which, by the way, I’m not implying the OP would ever do. I get that this thread was a little bit of light-hearted panic and I totally relate. I will be upset if( probably and realistically _when_ )Trump gets to appoint another justice as well. It is just that I have heard too many comments about how Ginsberg needs to cling to her seat like a barnacle even if she is dieing in pain in her hospital bed. It’s an utterly unfair burden to place on someone who has already given so much for this country > [@BigT](#): > > **This is not about any one person,** Actually, yeah at the end of the day it is. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/13 "2018-12-22T21:26:06Z")
I wish her a long and happy retirement. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/14 "2018-12-22T22:58:41Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > If she needs a lung she can have one of mine. My favorite handmade sign at the 2017 Women’s March read _Ginsburg Organ Donor._ God bless and get well, Notorious RBG, please, for the good of the republic. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/15 "2018-12-22T23:32:10Z")
Chill out folks, it’s not like she has bone spurs or anything. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/16 "2018-12-23T01:44:51Z")
Like others, I fervently hope that she continues to serve for a good long time yet. But as long as she makes it to 2020, then the “Garland rule” will kick in and the Senate will refrain from considering a nominee till after the election and 2021 inauguration. Right? Right? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/17 "2018-12-23T02:17:04Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I wish her a long and happy retirement. Nice of you, and the rest of us wish for her to do the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/18 "2018-12-23T02:33:35Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’m just so fucking tired of this shit. No, she doesn’t “owe anyone anything.” But that is just a stupid way to look at things. You don’t do things because you owe people, and you don’t get upset at people because they owed you something. > > People _will_ be upset, because, if Trump can appoint another judge, it would basically give the anti-abortion, anti-civil right crowd a majority on the court, completely undermining everything. **This is not about any one person,** and framing it that way is absolute fucking bullshit. > > I definitely am pissed at Kennedy for stepping down when he did. There was no reason he couldn’t stay on. If it was becoming hard, he can delegate pretty much everything except the actual vote. > > Ginsburg has shown that she gets it, as she was going to retire but stopped. She knows it’s not about her. I hope she continues. If she has to have others doing all the work, fine. There is no way the House will impeach her, so she can stay until she says otherwise. Hell, as long as she doesn’t resign, it doesn’t matter if she’s unconscious. The House can just say that she’s still there, and refuse to allow her to be removed. > > And, regardless of some artificial fairness, this is perfectly acceptable until we can get a Democrat back in office and actually fix the issue with them shutting out Garland. This is our fucking country and the bodily autonomy of women, the rights of LGBT Americans. The rights of voting so they won’t be permanently GOPed. > > I’m not doing this bullshit “She doesn’t owe you anything” crap. No, no one owes anyone to do the right thing. But it is the right thing. If you are pissed at Kennedy are you equally as pissed at Ginsburg for not retiring? You should probably read this article from that bastion of conservative thought, Mother Jones. Read to the end especially where it goes into what she is really like now when the cameras are not on her. > **[What the cult of Ruth Bader Ginsburg got wrong](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/11/what-cult-ruth-bader-ginsburg-rbg-got-wrong-obama-trump/)** > > Fans defended her choice not to retire under President Obama. Now it may be too late. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/darn-it-justice-ginsburg-stop-getting-cancer/826500/19 "2018-12-23T05:27:19Z")
> [@RavenSong](#): > > I didn’t know she was sick. I knew she was diabetic > I don’t see her holding out for two more years RBG does not have diabetes. Sonia Sotomayor has, however, had type 1 diabetes since she was a young child. RBG is the Keith Richards of cancer patients, I swear. So was her husband, because he beat lymphoma at a time when that was usually a death sentence.