Justice Ginsburg's Family Decries Bestowing RBG Award on Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch

[Nevilledog]

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/justice-ginsburgs-family-decries-bestowing-rbg-award-on-elon-musk-and-rupert-murdoch/


On Wednesday, the Dwight D. Opperman Foundation announced the 2024 recipients of the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Leadership Award. The winners: businessman Elon Musk, right-wing media kingpin Rupert Murdoch, lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, felonious Wall Streeter turned philanthropist Mike Milken, and actor Sylvester Stallone. The Foundation hailed these “iconic individuals” for their “extraordinary achievements.”

Veteran corporate lawyer Brendan Sullivan, who was Oliver North’s attorney during the Iran-contra scandal and who now chairs the RBG Award, noted, “The honorees reflect the integrity and achievement that defined Justice Ginsburg’s career and legend.” And the chair of the foundation, Julie Opperman, a big Republican donor and the widow of publishing titan Dwight Opperman, who once was CEO of Thomson Reuters, remarked that that the award embraces “the fullness of Justice Ginsburg’s legacy.”

Attaching Ginsburg’s name to Musk, who has amplified racist and antisemitic posts and ideas on X, and Murdoch, whose Fox News purposefully spread Trump’s disinformation about the 2020 election and has repeatedly deployed falsehoods to challenge and undermine the values that Ginsburg fought for her entire life, seemed an odd and inappropriate choice. That’s what Ginsburg’s family believes.

It has released a statement denouncing the awards:

The decision of the Opperman Foundation to bestow the RBG Women’s Leadership Award on this year’s slate of awardees is an affront to the memory of our mother and grandmother, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her legacy is one of deep commitment to justice and to the proposition that all persons deserve what she called “equal citizenship stature” under the Constitution. She was a singularly powerful voice for the equality and empowerment of women, including their ability to control their own bodies. As it was originally conceived and named, the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award honored that legacy by recognizing “an extraordinary woman who has exercised a positive and notable influence on society and served as an exemplary role model in both principles and practice.” This year, the Opperman Foundation has strayed far from the original mission of the award and from what Justice Ginsburg stood for.

The Justice’s family wish to make clear that they do not support using their mother’s name to celebrate this year’s slate of awardees, and that the Justice’s family has no affiliation with and does not endorse this award.

*snip*



So disrespectful to RBG

[DURHAM D]

1. Good.

Glad the family is standing up to the Nazis.

[peggysue2]

2. The disrespect is deliberate

Good for the family pushing back.

[elleng]

5. Yes. Terrible they felt they need to do so.

[KPN]

45. It's impulsive with them.

[mountain grammy]

44. sure seems like it

they went to the bottom.. surely they know RBG would not approve.

[Abigail_Adams]

66. I have no problem with Martha and Sly but

Musk, Milken, and Murdoch? Really? REALLY??!! I concur with others--this was a deliberate kick in the teeth, and why are these jackasses in charge of that award anyway? Ginsburg's family should sue to revoke their ability to use her name on this "award."

[peppertree]

47. They disrespected RBG the second they named Brendan Sullivan as chairman

Best known for being Ollie North's "don't recall" lawyer, his family was the Sullivan in Sullivan & Cromwell.

The firm that represented Nazi interests in the U.S. before, during - and even after the war.

But they've got God's unlisted phone number, so it figures they'd get their claws even into RBG.

[elleng]

3. AWFUL!

[marble falls]

4. That's such a MAGA punch in the nose. That was a maliciously derived slate.

[Nevilledog]

61. They're evil fuckers. Spending their time coming up with hateful actions.

[malaise]

6. Effin sick

That is all

[republianmushroom]

7. One does really have to ask why. Look at the two recipients.

Thank you family.

[2naSalit]

20. And the rest!

The names listed are all criminals and authoritarians.

[Raven123]

8. What on earth would make them think their selection was appropriate?

Almost makes a mockery of her legacy

[Easterncedar]

13. The mockery is deliberate and full of malice

How dare they

[niyad]

19. Take a look at who runs that thing. Sick little reichwing jerks.

[rubbersole]

23. Millionaires/billionaires gotta aire...

[mopinko]

9. i know her son jim. i knew he's b pissed.

he’s zealously guarded her name and image. i hope he takes some action here.
if any of these recipients had a shred of decency, they’d refuse the award.

[Raven123]

10. Can the family demand RBG's name be disassociated with this foundation?

[wolfie001]

35. This!!! ☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝ nt

[JoseBalow]

43. I thought the same thing

[brer cat]

11. Complete assholes.

[Ocelot II]

12. That's really offensive, beyond just tone-deaf.

It feels almost like an intentional insult.

[Easterncedar]

14. It IS intentional

Owning the libs by spitting on RBG’s name.

Like the Susan B Anthony organization. Damn them.

[ificandream]

15. Why is someone connected to Oliver North in charge of the RBG award in the first place?

Makes absolutely no sense. Surprised he didn't give it to Trump.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. Next up: Hitler posthumously awarded Peace Prize.

[markodochartaigh]

54. The Ronald Reagan award

for Workers' Rights.

/s

[CousinIT]

17. That is defamatory. They should sue if possible. I'm not a lawyer but damn...

....a family should be able to protect its name. This is a nasty insult to her family.

[AllaN01Bear]

18. eek. yuck

just like rush limbaugh getting the freedom medal

[Martin68]

21. WTF? That's a travesty.

[sheshe2]

22. Unbelievable

It is an insult to her legacy.

[Wonder Why]

24. Uh? "lifestyle guru Martha Stewart"? You mean ex-con Martha Stewart?

[moniss]

25. Brendan Sullivan and decency never

got in the same room together.

[Rebl2]

26. Has Stallone

ever been in prison?

[Mblaze]

27. I'll buy "achievement"

But “integrity”? Please…

[Quanto Magnus]

28. So basically this is now

a joke award?

[thesquanderer]

29. I had to double-check the date, that it wasn't April 1. (n/t)

[patphil]

30. The honorees reflect the integrity and achievement that defined Justice Ginsburg's career and legend

Really? Musk, Murdoch, and Milken?
This is pure BS, Republican style.
How do these three guys embrace the fullness of Justice Ginsberg's legacy?

Answer: They don't.

This used to be the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Woman of Leadership Award.
I only see one woman in the list of 5 recipients.

[Farmer-Rick]

31. Wow, they couldn't have picked any worse people

Unless they added a few mass murderers. They have a convicted felon, a convicted drug runner, accused rapist, convicted sexual abusers, known Nazis and vile misogynists on the list. Maybe they should award it to David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam murderer, or Dennis Rader, the BTK murderer, too while they are at it.

It was an obvious insult. Naming the award after the first Jewish female judge is appalling. Her family say they have absolutely no connection to this award. It's such an insult, you got to think it's a hoax.

Her family appropriately asks for her name to be removed from the award. "Unless the original award criteria, as accepted by Justice Ginsburg, are restored, they very much want their mother’s name to be removed from the award.”

[keopeli]

32. Stallone is a staunch Republican. I do not know his views on MAGA, but as RBGs contemporary, he would have nothing but

disdain for the iconic liberal justice.

With the exception of Martha Stewart, the whole list is of rabid Republicans. I am sure they all had a good laugh at RBG's expense afterward. This is such a travesty that it is beyond words.

[bucolic_frolic]

33. Commit more crimes, get more awards!

Any of youz know something we can grand larcenize this weekend?

[GB_RN]

34. This Has To Be Satire...

Right? No way this can be real.

[Nevilledog]

38. It's real

[GB_RN]

60. Really Putrid...

I did see where the family had nothing to do with it and wanted her name removed from it. Looks like a Reichwing scam that aims to pervert/subvert her good name and works by giving “awards” to crackpots and criminals.

[HariSeldon]

36. Worse than the so-called "Nobel Prize in Economics"

Nobel didn't create the "Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel", as he did the actual Nobel prizes (physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace). The money-people got butt-hurt about being left out and made their own "Nobel prize." Mathematicians were left out of eligibility for Nobel prizes as well, but they did the honorable thing and created their own awards (the Fields Medal and Abel Prize).

How did this odious organization get any right to use RBG's name? Shouldn't those rights belong to her estate?

[FelineOverlord]

37. Their website is conveniently "currently under revision"

https://www.oppermanfoundation.org/

However, you can tell them exactly how you feel but sending them an email:

[e-mail].

[dickthegrouch]

62. Create a burner account first

I’m no longer sure these outrageous incidents aren’t just a way to collect information from dissenters

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

39. Huh?

[spanone]

40. Total bullshit. RBG would definitely not approve.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

41. Is this award for real?

It makes no sense. Never mind the Musk portion. Sylvester Stallone?

[MorbidButterflyTat]

42. Do we all feel appropriately "owned"?

Fucking trolls.

[BootinUp]

46. What a list that is! Omg.

Can her family rescue her name from the fraud’s running this award?

[TeamProg]

48. WTF???!!!

[turbinetree]

49. I just read this article that I just can't imagine what RBG would say.........

and that these jerks, being put mildly and they reflect integrity and achievement............

[Trust_Reality]

50. Pure insult to PDG's family and the memory of Justice Ginsburg

[pecosbob]

51. Honestly, for most of the folks listed I wouldn't lift a finger if they were drowning.

I consider three of them to be horrible examples of human beings.

[ColinC]

52. What? Why? How...

How is that a thing that happened?

[GiqueCee]

53. These lowlifes...

... think they're clever, but they're the furthest thing from it. Malice is their default setting, but it won't be long before they realize that they are being shunned and ostracized by decent people, which they, of course, know they will never, ever be.

Every time I think that Republicans can't possibly sink any lower into the putrid muck at the bottom of their cesspool of malice and mendacity... it's Friday, and we gotta recalibrate... yet again.

[budkin]

55. Considering they consider RBG a hero for dying

And giving them total control of SCOTUS and ending Roe, this doesn’t surprise me at all.

[onecaliberal]

56. Can they stop the ability to use her name from these people?

[Sanity Claws]

58. That is what I was thinking

The Estate of RBG should be able to sue for appropriation of RBG's name

[Bayard]

57. "extraordinary achievements."

And what would those be? Lying, cheating, and spitting on the little people?

RBG has to be rolling in her grave. This is a deliberate insult to her memory and legacy. Her family should sue.

[C Moon]

59. "This year's multi-millionaire award goes to..."

[Rhiannon12866]

63. What?! Good Grief!

[Blue Owl]

64. Musk deserves the Donald J. tRump Full Pantload Award

[Zambero]

65. RBG "Award"

Remarkably Bogus Gaslighting