Just to follow up on Jim's post,
I think the problem with the benign interprtation of Sonia
Sotomayor's controversial Berkeley speech is that she wasn't just
candidly acknowledging that Latina roots would lead a judge to
reach different conclusions than a while male
counterpart, but "more often than not reach a better
conclusion" (emphasis mine). That's a very important
distinction.
It's true that Sotomayor's position becomes a bit more nuanced if
you read on to the point where she says, "I am reminded each day
that I render decisions that affect people concretely and that I
owe them constant and complete vigilance in checking my
assumptions, presumptions and perspectives and ensuring that to
the extent that my limited abilities and capabilities permit me,
that I reevaluate them and change as circumstances and cases
before me requires." But that still doesn't explain away the
earlier comment.
I think that her arrogant comments goes more toward her feminine
nature than her Hispanic nature-----most women somehow THINK that
they are SMARTER than the average male; and that they represent
the BRAINS, while males represent the BRAUN. Maybe they're
right!!!
Real American| 5.28.09 @ 2:35PM
the real problem is that her mind has been warped by her
immersion into identity politics. Per those politics, white males
are oppressors and what they do is suspect, whereas noble
minorities have compassion and can understand each others'
condition and empathize with their plight (assuming they all
share one.) She sees her job on the bench as putting her finger
on the scales of justice to ensure that those folks are more
equal than white males who, of course, only side with their own.
It's a bunch of BS, but that's her thinking.
conservatives = teh stoopid| 5.28.09 @ 3:24PM
I will say this slowly for the stoopid who dwell here:
When Judge Sotomayor made the statement, she was specifically
discussing the importance of judicial diversity in determining
"race and sex discrimination cases".
Do you understand now why she is not a racist or bigot? Of course
not, that's why you are republicans. You idiots are the reason
why the your party will end up being a display at the local zoo.
And I will go every day to fling my crap at you. Enjoy your third
party status of irrelevancy. She will be confirmed. There is
nothing you can do. Now go cry a river with Glenn Beck. He needs
the help.
Murphy| 5.28.09 @ 4:50PM
Mr Klein makes a good point. I would be more comfortable if
Sotomayor had emphasized the difference made by race (and so on),
and perhaps how difference can make one -- say -- a better judge.
I do not agree with other critics (not Mr Klein) who call her a
"racist" and a "bigot" (Limbaugh, Beck, Gingrich). That goes way
too far.
Bob| 5.28.09 @ 5:29PM
Philip -- I've heard by many of the contributors on AmSpec that
because they've had political experience and many of us have not,
that they have a BETTER understanding of politics. If you are
dealing with minority/poor defendants/plaintiffs, why wouldn't
someone with direct experience make BETTER decisions?
The same thing is true about my background in business and
economics. You have a background in financial reporting and your
columns on that subject are clearly superior to many of your
counterparts and you know it.
Her statement was clearly over the line, but parsed properly, it
is not entirely wrong.
Murphy| 5.28.09 @ 8:21PM
Any college educated person will acknowledge that our cognitions
are conditioned by our backgrounds. Her comment was imprudently
articulated, but I don't see it as a major problem.
What IS a major problem is that these debates end up circling
around single statements, torn out of context, that people make.
Jim’s post, I think the problem with the benign interprtation of Sonia Sotomayor’s controversial Berkeley speech is that she wasn’t just candidly acknowledging that Latina… → Read full article… Sotomayor the Wise Related Post: Sotomayor: ‘A Wise Latina Woman’ Makes Better Judge Than a ‘White Male’ Judging Sotomayor Limbaugh: Sotomayor a ‘Reverse Racist’…
Oldefarte| 5.28.09 @ 2:22PM
I think that her arrogant comments goes more toward her feminine nature than her Hispanic nature-----most women somehow THINK that they are SMARTER than the average male; and that they represent the BRAINS, while males represent the BRAUN. Maybe they're right!!!
Real American| 5.28.09 @ 2:35PM
the real problem is that her mind has been warped by her immersion into identity politics. Per those politics, white males are oppressors and what they do is suspect, whereas noble minorities have compassion and can understand each others' condition and empathize with their plight (assuming they all share one.) She sees her job on the bench as putting her finger on the scales of justice to ensure that those folks are more equal than white males who, of course, only side with their own. It's a bunch of BS, but that's her thinking.
conservatives = teh stoopid| 5.28.09 @ 3:24PM
I will say this slowly for the stoopid who dwell here:
When Judge Sotomayor made the statement, she was specifically discussing the importance of judicial diversity in determining "race and sex discrimination cases".
Do you understand now why she is not a racist or bigot? Of course not, that's why you are republicans. You idiots are the reason why the your party will end up being a display at the local zoo. And I will go every day to fling my crap at you. Enjoy your third party status of irrelevancy. She will be confirmed. There is nothing you can do. Now go cry a river with Glenn Beck. He needs the help.
Murphy| 5.28.09 @ 4:50PM
Mr Klein makes a good point. I would be more comfortable if Sotomayor had emphasized the difference made by race (and so on), and perhaps how difference can make one -- say -- a better judge.
I do not agree with other critics (not Mr Klein) who call her a "racist" and a "bigot" (Limbaugh, Beck, Gingrich). That goes way too far.
Bob| 5.28.09 @ 5:29PM
Philip -- I've heard by many of the contributors on AmSpec that because they've had political experience and many of us have not, that they have a BETTER understanding of politics. If you are dealing with minority/poor defendants/plaintiffs, why wouldn't someone with direct experience make BETTER decisions?
The same thing is true about my background in business and economics. You have a background in financial reporting and your columns on that subject are clearly superior to many of your counterparts and you know it.
Her statement was clearly over the line, but parsed properly, it is not entirely wrong.
Murphy| 5.28.09 @ 8:21PM
Any college educated person will acknowledge that our cognitions are conditioned by our backgrounds. Her comment was imprudently articulated, but I don't see it as a major problem.
What IS a major problem is that these debates end up circling around single statements, torn out of context, that people make.
Pingback| 5.29.09 @ 10:19AM
Sotomayor the Wise — ButAsForMe links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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