2 Responses to “Latina on Shortlist for Supreme Court”

1. Topics about Latino | Latinola » Blog Archive » Latina on Shortlist for Supreme Court Says:
   May 8th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

   [...] El Rafa created an interesting post today on Latinola » Blog Archive » Latina on Shortlist for Supreme CourtHere’s a short outlineLatina on Shortlist for Supreme Court. With the impending retirement of Justice David Souter from the Supreme Court, sentiment and support have grown for President Obama to name Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the vacancy. … [...]

2. kepex Says:
   May 27th, 2009 at 7:54 pm

   As an underrepresented minority in the United State I am positively elated that Judge Sotomayor now holds the distinction as the first Latina nominee to the Supreme Court. Her appointment to the Supreme Court would make history, just like President Obama’s election. However, my elation ends there.

   Allow me to play devil’s advocate for a minute…or two.

   The nomination of Judge Sotomayor to the land’s highest court should come as no surprise, as a matter of fact. Further, it might even be considered politics as usual, with a spin. First, we have the facts: Judge Sotomayor is a self-identified “Nuyorican” who has an Ivy League pedigree and attained nominations to ever increasing judicial posts through her skill and merit. While in and of themselves these facts do not render Judge Sotomayor and automatic appointment to the Supreme Court, President Obama’s political acumen in this instance might make her an easier appointment than would otherwise be the case.

   At the risk of trivializing Judge Sotomayor’s uniqueness, she basically fits into a Supreme Court Justice mold that frightens me. She is a double-Ivy Leaguer; she has an undergrad diploma from Princeton and her law degree from Yale. Of the current Justices in the Supreme Court, only Justice John Paul Stevens does not possess some sort of Ivy League degree. While the mere fact that Judge Sotomayor had the singular opportunity of distinguishing herself at not one, but two of the most demanding institutions in the academic world is no small feat, nevertheless she fits into a dangerous mold. Justice John Marshall, the Supreme Court Justice who helped shape the Court into what we know today would readily raise an eyebrow or two at the pattern that Supreme Court appointments is taking.

   But bear with me just a little bit longer…

   Politics as usual? How can a Black President nominating a Latina Judge to the Supreme Court be considered even remotely politics as usual? Allow me to explain: by nominating a Latina, who fits very well into the current mold of the Supreme Court, and was even considered by the previous administration as a nominee, President Obama has reduced the court to a political playground where the needs of the nation have taken a backseat. Why?Let’s analyze: President Obama has essentially thrown the ball into the Republican party’s court. That is, by selecting a capable, and as of yet not quite controversial Judge to the Supreme Court, President Obama’s challenge to the Republicans in Congress is that the Republicans would have a hard time convincing their leadership and constituency that they do not hold the ever-growing Latino population’s interests at heart if they refute Judge Sotomayor’s nomination. By enabling this type of bipartisan politicking, President Obama has essentially taken the game back to the level of his predecessors. Sure, it’s a savvy political move, and my kudos to President Obama for a timely and novel nomination. However, the ideals that President Obama himself stands for are being tested by the very act of nominating Judge Sotomayor.

   The Supreme Court, up until recently was not dominated by judges, rather there were people from a wide array of walks of life. There were legislators, attorneys, and other such individuals who could provide a different and necessary interpretation of this nation’s laws. By reducing differing viewpoints, the nation’s future is at stake. Yes, there are liberals, conservatives, and everything in between in the Court, and they all come from different walks of life. But how tantalizing would it be to have a trial attorney, a scientist, a state legislator nominated to the Supreme Court? In these days, you need certain political clout to pull off a nomination like that, unfortunately.

   There is no reason why Judge Sotomayor would not make a capable and wise Supreme Court Justice. My misgivings about the circumstances surrounding her appointment, however, raise the question of whether the country’s best interests are being met or is the Supreme Court increasingly becoming a chorus?

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