The political war over Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination as the next Supreme Court justice may have gained some vigor this week with the latest ruling by her potential peers."The Supreme Court ruled that discrimination is always discrimination, regardless of who is doing the discriminating and who is being discriminated against."
And I knew that it was on from there.
The latest decision from the Supreme Court to overturn the New Haven, Conn., firefighters' case will have an impact on the deliberations surrounding Sotomayor. Even if this doesn't play out big time in the confirmation process, it will play out in a big way in public opinion forums.
To many, this majority ruling will symbolize several things. ...
http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=603464&pid=603463&uts=1246466792
http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf
Supreme Court Nomination
Sotomayor, 54, would take the seat of Justice David Souter, who plans to retire. She would be the second woman on the court, only the third in history. Click through to see others who were considered top contenders.
Ron Jordan Natoli Studio / 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals / AP
Ron Jordan Natoli Studio / 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals / AP
BlackVoices.com
For starters, the fears of judicial activism that were heard from all parts of conservative America will be validated, causing a new upswing in concern for an "empathetic judge" being on the highest court in the land. Although many minorities can understand the sentiment originally expressed, many more want the laws of the land to provide a consistent, level playing field for everyone.
The previous ruling that disallowed results from a fair, non-culturally-biased test to be dismissed because not enough minorities passed was rightfully frightening. We want and need fairness, but that equality must be built from the righteousness gifted to us by the Constitution.
As well, this ruling may leave many wondering if this is the kind of empathy that President Obama envisioned. Empathy does not mean eluding the law. If "empathy from the bench" leads to eroding standards or creating new ones, then we should be mindful of where the Sotomayor debate takes us.
We must also examine what this means for the partisan polarization taking place on Capitol Hill. The Obama Midas touch has not trickled down to his administration. Although he has had pieces of legislation pass since he took office, it has not happened without much gnashing of teeth from Republicans and a growing portion of the nation. From the auto bailout to diverging views on the cap-and-trade legislation, the high approval ratings that the president holds personally have yet to transfer over to his policies. This looks to be the same with his pick of Supreme Court nominees.
This latest decision by the Supreme Court may not have much of a bearing on civil rights, depending on how the decision is applied. However, it may prove to be a bear for the Obama administration.
____________________
Lenny McAllister is a regular on-air personality for FOX Charlotte's 'FOX News Rising' and XM Radio's 'The Power Table.' LennyMcAllister.com includes McAllister's weekly video commentary, courtesy of 'FOX News' - Charlotte. His book, 'Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative)' will be available online next month.
Comments: (2)
Add a comment
By: James A. Jones on 7/01/2009 6:56PM
Before commenting one must read Sotomayor's decision. Once reading her decision you will find that she followed precedence as established by this court. The law was changed.The 5 Justices who voted together are the 'activist' judges who did not follow their previous rulins concerning discrimination in the work place.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: BotofYah on 7/16/2009 4:00PM
The very arrogant people who denounce Judge Sonia Sotomayor are the epitome of exactly what defines racism in this country. Though they reject her statement about Latina women being better able to make decisions than White men, they know and understand very well her reasoning for making it. And though the facts prove Judge Sotomayor to have obvious evidence for her claim, they have the audacity to be offended by this obvious truth.
The discrimination, prejudice, and injustice against minorities in the United States permeates the social, economical, and political systems without compassion. The more than not lily-white senate, the unpassed Bill H.R. 40 that Congressman Conyers has submitted annually since 1989 that has not be accepted or recognized, the long awaited apology for the barbaric Slave Trade - the worst crime against Black humanity on record, and the depravation of the poor nations in Central America and in the Caribbean all speak volumes in support of the Judge’s claim.
Wise Latina women would make better decisions than White men because it is the latter who are the powers-that-be and who have been since the birth of Colonial America and the United States but who have not been a voice or a help for minorities to end their plight. Because it is the White men who see the impoverished and who have done nothing about it, it is obvious that they are the ones who have dictated the fate of the destitute. Nothing in their power has manifest to better the lives of the impoverished and alleviate the dirt poor in the United States or in the poor nations surrounding this country that is said to be the “Greatest Nation in the World” but rather only to sustain the despair and misery that prevails.
Rich White men in government have not walked in the shoes of minorities and much less Latina women and would rather die than do so. Latina women would know exactly what to do to end the racism and the pain and suffering of the poor.
Therefore, Judge Sotomayor is absolutely on point with her statement. She was most accurate and honest with her assessment, but unfortunately, she was renounced because of its truth. Moreover, the sad and harmful state of affairs regarding the status quo will continue and of that, we can be sure.
Reply to this Comment | Report This