The White House has actually warned folks to “be careful” as President Obama’s choice to replace Supreme Court Justice Souter, Sonia Sotomayor, begins the confirmation process. It seems that because Sotomayor is a Hispanic woman, that is such a big deal in and of itself it should trump any all legitimate questions and their answers – such as looking closely at her on the job performance – when deciding if she is really and truly qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.
Frankly, boys and girls, I watch this nonsense and shake my head. Anyone who uses things like race or economic circumstances in an attempt to elevate themselves above others is, at best, a fool. To claim that your race or gender makes you somehow wiser than those who are different from you is a racist statement. Kudos to ANYONE who works hard and makes something productive out of themselves. We all know that a piece of paper from a prestigious university has no bearing on common sense or eventual life outcome; if you want to talk about real wisdom I will bet you can find more in a ditch digger than in some alleged “Constitutional law professors”.
But I digress.
Affirmative action and equal opportunity are a direct result of freedoms provided in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It is on a level playing field that every nominee must be judged; without prejudice, without discrimination, blindly – and those who are found to be lacking in objective judicial abilities must be sent packing.
Judge Sotomayor does not appear to be an appropriate choice for the Supreme Court simply because she is on record as advocating legislating from the bench, and because of her racist statements. Both are bad news when being considered for a job that calls for upholding the Constitution and doing so without prejudice, meaning doing so blindly. It makes no difference that she is Hispanic. It makes no difference that she is female. Lady Justice doesn’t discriminate, Lady Justice is not divisive, and upholding that literal objectivity is simply a fundamental test that Sonia Sotomayor does not pass.