Associate Justice Antonin Scalia died in his sleep after a hunting trip a few weeks ago, at the age of 79. He had served on the Supreme Court’s bench since Ronald Reagan was in office, and over his the course of his tenure in this position, he made many friends and many enemies. His strict constitutionalist views were sometimes unpopular, but there was almost always a guarantee that there would be an intriguing academic dissent or concurrence in his name. With the death of one of the most prominent conservative members of the Court gone, balance has been thrown for a loop. It is supposedly a turning point in history for the benefit of all Democrats in the United States.
Except for one.
Fellow Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was Antonin Scalia’s best friend. The two came from different worlds, often disagreeing in their court opinions for a case. And yet, the two were peas in a pod. The following are five reasons as to why their friendship is one of the purest and most goal-worthy of relationships of all time:
1. They’re the “Odd Couple”
Once at an event at George Washington University, Scalia himself was quoted as calling Ginsburg and him the ‘odd couple’ from Neil Simon’s play and the subsequent television series. Everybody wants to be a power duo. Finding the right one to describe a friendship is critical. From Fred and Barney to Abbott and Costello to even Tina Fey and Amy Poehler—discussing who is who in the relationship is a bonding experience. Scalia and Ginsburg seem like an unlikely pair—from his burly size to her small stature, from his strict constructionist views to her living constitution outlook. Everyone wants to be the peanut butter to someone else’s jelly, the salt to the pepper. These two found theirs: Oscar to Felix, and we’re all jealous of them for it.
2. Arguments are healthy
Is a friendship truly a friendship until there’s been a ‘first fight?’ The answer is no. An argument tests the limits of a friendship, it makes a bond stronger. Scalia and Ginsburg didn’t agree on much. They rarely agreed on anything, unless it was related to the opera. Ginsburg even once said that she hated what he had to say, but what she loved was the way he said it. Every Supreme Court decision was almost guaranteed to feature a disagreement between the pair. Friends can be close, but best friends have seen your worst side during a fight and still stick around anyway. That’s real love.
3. There’s an Actual Opera Based on Their Friendship
It’s called Scalia/Ginsburg: A (Gentle) Parody of Operatic Proportions. Apparently the mastermind conductor behind it first thought of it when reading Court opinions and seeing the all too common phrase: ‘Scalia J., Dissenting.’ Ginsburg and Scalia were honored and amused by such a concept and attended the premiere.
4. Mutual Respect Goes a Long Way
The two never had anything but praise for each other. Scalia is indirectly credited for Ginsburg’s nomination to the Supreme Court – as legend has it, his clerks asked him who he wanted Clinton’s nomination to be back in 1993, and he supposedly replied with her name. If that doesn’t speak to the respect he had for RBG, I don’t know what does. f a friend doesn’t respect you, they’re not truly your friend. And to be respected by someone, to be trusted by someone, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
5. They Rode an Elephant Together
Back in 1994, the pair went on vacation to India together and went on an elephant ride. The two also went parasailing together at one point in France. Friends hang out together at school, or in their case—at the Supreme Court. But best friends travel the world together. Some people get sick of their peers after seeing them on a daily basis. But to like someone enough to go around the world with them is dedication to the friendship.
The unlikely pair were closer than anyone could have ever imagined. They will always be the ultimate friendship goals.
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