Jeff Lord begins his latest salvo against Judge Gonzalo Curiel in this manner:
So. There is Donald Trump, now the GOP nominee in waiting, making the obvious point. The point? That the judge in the Trump University trial is biased against him — he, The Donald, of famously controversial positions on illegal immigration and building a wall with Mexico — because the judge is a “Mexican.” Which is to say, the Indiana-born judge is of Mexican parentage.
But let us imagine for a moment that Gonzalo Curiel was not the presiding judge in this case. Let’s say, hypothetically, it was an individual named Judge George Chang. Jeff’s paragraph might read something like this:
So. There is Donald Trump, now the GOP nominee in waiting, making the obvious point. The point? That the judge in the Trump University trial is biased against him — he, The Donald, of famously controversial positions on trade with China and imposing a 45% tariffs against goods imported from that country — because the judge is “Chinese.” Which is to say, the Indiana-born judge is of Chinese parentage.
There is also a good chance this Judge Chang, if he were living in the San Diego area, would be a member in good standing of The Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego. Its mission isn’t unlike that of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association:
The Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego (PALSD) is dedicated to advancing Asian Americans in the legal profession, promoting and advocating the interests of the Asian Pacific American community, and preserving the culture, heritage, and diversity of our community.
No doubt Jeff would then write, “Got that? Not “Our purpose is to advance the cause of equality, empowerment and justice for all San Diego attorneys” — only for “Pan Asian attorneys.”
In which case, I would reply, “What does Judge Chang’s membership in the Pan Asian Lawyers of San Diego have to do with the price of tea in China?”
So let’s get back to Judge Curiel. When Donald Trump and his apologists characterize him as “Mexican”, of “Mexican parentage” or his membership in La Raza Lawyers of San Diego here is what they are really saying.
Trump and company are saying that Curiel’s legal education at the University of Indiana School of Law is irrelevant.
Trump and company are saying that nearly 20 years of Curiel’s experience as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California and later the Central District of California is irrelevant.
Trump and company are saying that Curiel’s time as head of the Narcotics Enforcement Division while with the Southern California U.S. Attorney’s office is irrelevant. Mind you, a time during which his life was threatened by Mexico’s Arellano Felix drug cartel.
Trump and company are also saying that Curiel’s near 15 years of experience on the bench at both the district court and federal level is irrelevant.
All that matters to Trump and company where it concerns Gonzalo Curiel is where his parents were born and raised, not where he was born and raised.
Trump and company are simply being un-American.
Let’s keep in mind that Donald Trump has promised to stop talking about Judge Curiel. It’s time for Jeff Lord to do the same.
