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[Poll]

Is Sotomayor a Racist?

No. Only white people can be racists.

9% (3)

If you see color and gender you are.

38% (12)

She is right. Old white men have no clue.

22% (7)

She should apologize for her comments.

19% (6)

She should attend sensitivity training.

9% (3)

Total Votes : 31

(last vote on : 6/20/2009 2:26:30 PM)
(Poll will run till: -- )

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Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 5:33:56 PM

LotusSong

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The President's nominee for the Supreme court is quoted as saying "Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life."

Is this a racist statement? The complete text of her comment can be found HERE

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 5:46:18 PM

lronitulstahp

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i was going to vote, but i don't see an acceptable option...(one about things being taken out of context or something)

*shrugs* Aqui hay gato encerrado...

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 5:51:36 PM

MissSepphora1

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In what context is that ever acceptable?
I think all latinas should stop having 20 babies they can't take care of, and coming to the US and putting them on welfare.
Just kidding!!!!!
Does that make it all okay?

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 5:53:20 PM

LotusSong

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I provided the entire context in the link I provided. Click on the word "HERE" (in case you missed it) and you will see all.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 6:03:26 PM

lronitulstahp

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She was trying to say, perhaps not in the best way, i admit, that many of the judgements for equal rights for women and minorities were argued by women and minorities in front of white male judges. Though they made some ground, perhaps if women and mionorities were further included in these landmark cases as JUDGES there would be even more advancements in civil rights. She was saying that judges who were women or people of color, or both,(like her) would come from a place of experience when deciding these sorts of cases. They will usually have a different perspective from white males. Not racist, but true. Not racist, but different. Diversity isn't something to be feared. It's a good and positive thing.

For instance, people from New Zealand know more about New Zealand than i, who may have just watched a 30 min Travel Channel special on New Zealand....and feel prepared to speak on it's finer points without ever having been there.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 6:06:12 PM

lronitulstahp

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quote:

ORIGINAL: LotusSong

I provided the entire context in the link I provided. Click on the word "HERE" (in case you missed it) and you will see all.

i read the whole speech here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/us/politics/15judge.text.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 6:09:52 PM

MissSepphora1

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Coming from a place of experience only makes one more emotional, and I wouldn't want someone judging from emotion over the law.
Experience is fine and all, but law is the law. There is no "coloring" the law.
She did decide against a group of white firefighters getting promotions because they scored high enough on the test, but no minorities scored high enough.
That does not help her case. That is not equal rights.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 7:35:54 PM

lronitulstahp

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i think that may be a bit of projection. Experience may mean increased clarity of thought, not necessarily emotional judgements.

< Message edited by lronitulstahp -- 6/2/2009 7:36:33 PM >

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 7:48:50 PM

MissSepphora1

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you seem optimistic and thoughtful.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 7:49:39 PM

TheHeretic

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No vote cast, but, by the standards of calling someone a racist in recent years, yes. HELL yes! If a white guy had made a similar statement, he would be over. Context doesn't mean shit, unless you have applied that same standard on the other side of the coin.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 8:00:03 PM

Arpig

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To my eye, yes, no, and maybe.

She is stating that somehow being a Latina would make her opinion more valid than a white male's. While the remark is racist, that does not necessarily make her a racist (there is a difference). I do not think this one statement is reason to disqualify her, however it must be viewed in the context of her overall performance on the bench. It is a point against her, but to my mind not enough to outright disqualify her.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 8:39:18 PM

Sanity

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And that's the thing. Some white firefighters were being discriminated against, they were denied promotions due to the color of their skin and she ruled that that was okay, because their skin was white.

She's a racist. I voted that she needs sensitivity training, and I would have voted that she needs a brain transplant if that were an option.

And the context argument is bull, pure bull, because the law is the law - skin color and gender don't change it. If she feels she would rule differently because she's a woman or because she's Latino then she needs to go back to law school as well as sensitivity training.

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

No vote cast, but, by the standards of calling someone a racist in recent years, yes. HELL yes! If a white guy had made a similar statement, he would be over. Context doesn't mean shit, unless you have applied that same standard on the other side of the coin.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 9:15:01 PM

Zevar

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quote:

ORIGINAL: LotusSong

The President's nominee for the Supreme court is quoted as saying "Second, I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life."

Is this a racist statement? The complete text of her comment can be found HERE

Greetings LotusSong:

It appears to me that perhaps this statement was not so much racist in the sense of what and how racism has played out for centuries now.

Instead it appears this statement meant that her life experiences would lend to her ability to perform her job in a manner which a non latina clearly would be excluded from performing due to not living a life of a latino. There is some truth in that.

In the overall context of this statement; no it is not racist per se and yes it can appear so if not looked at from a different angle which surely is what the motive was in stating it to begin. Not easy to read or hear from the position of the non latino perspective.

I assume the whole argument is baseless and will work out for the overall best of the entire nation and not just some. And let us not forget the fear of non-whites rising in power over whites, now that is the underlying issue at hand needing to be addressed.

Further this can teach those of us who are non-latino much good if we look for it. Being in the position of those who were disenfranchised due to race does not feel any better than when others were in this position. Regardless of the specific race oppression plays out the same.

Racial issues are complex by nature. Much to weigh and balance indeed.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/2/2009 10:09:59 PM

NihilusZero

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quote:

ORIGINAL: MissSepphora1

Coming from a place of experience only makes one more emotional, and I wouldn't want someone judging from emotion over the law.

Which may just be the reason she said (four paragraphs later in the same lecture):

quote:

Each day on the bench I learn something new about the judicial process and about being a professional Latina woman in a world that sometimes looks at me with suspicion. 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. I can and do aspire to be greater than the sum total of my experiences but I accept my limitations. I willingly accept that we who judge must not deny the differences resulting from experience and heritage but attempt, as the Supreme Court suggests, continuously to judge when those opinions, sympathies and prejudices are appropriate.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/3/2009 4:23:09 AM

DarkSteven

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The speech in its entirety impressed me, and the quote in question seems slightly racist in that she is downplaying the wisdom a white man can attain versus the wisdom a Latina woman can attain. But it doesn't mesh with the rest of her statement, and I suspect she simply phrased it poorly. Frankly, if that's the worst thing she's ever said at her age, I'm cool with that.

I'm much more concerned about the firefighters' case and can't believe that anyone is meticulously dissecting speeches she made before colleges when there are troubling rulings to look at.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/3/2009 4:28:03 AM

BitaTruble

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quote:

She did decide against a group of white firefighters getting promotions because they scored high enough on the test, but no minorities scored high enough.

::sighs:: No, she didn't. That's not at all what the case was about. It is, however, one of the more popular 30 second soundbites from those who oppose her nomination. If there were any actual truth to it, then it should be used as a mitigating factor, but since it's patently and provably false it holds no weight.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/3/2009 4:31:12 AM

BitaTruble

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quote:

I'm much more concerned about the firefighters' case and can't believe that anyone is meticulously dissecting speeches she made before colleges when there are troubling rulings to look at.

What, exactly, in that ruling troubles you?

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/3/2009 4:39:48 AM

Mezrem

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Flip it and the question does not need to be asked. What if a white judge said that she was more qualified just because she was white and had that experience. White people don't corner the market on hate.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/3/2009 5:02:54 AM

DesFIP

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Definitely out of context. The portion cited makes it patently clear that she is referring solely to discrimination, and that someone who has never been discriminated against may well discount it. Re her comments that although the 1964 Civil Rights Act made gender discrimination illegal, the Supreme Court did not uphold that law in a gender discrimination suit until 8 years later.

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RE: Is Sotomayor a Racist? - 6/3/2009 5:16:46 AM

DarkSteven

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quote:

ORIGINAL: BitaTruble

quote:

I'm much more concerned about the firefighters' case and can't believe that anyone is meticulously dissecting speeches she made before colleges when there are troubling rulings to look at.

What, exactly, in that ruling troubles you?

I read that the promotions were considered invalid because not enough minorities had passed. If the process itself discriminated against minorities, I'm in agreement with her. If the results simply weren't what she liked, then I'm opposed.

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