Texas Insider

11:47 am CST - June 05, 2009

Posted under Opinion

A Latina’s Case Against the Sotomayor Pick

Laura Elizabeth Morales

Margarita Carmen Cansino became an icon in American film as a red carpet beauty who starred in such films as “Tales of Manhattan”, “You’ll Never Get Right” and “You Were Never Lovelier” but you might know her better as Rita Hayworth. Immortalized in both film and song, Rita Hayworth’s Hollywood glamour forever cement her into American film royalty. However, Rita’s contract required her to dye her hair red and change her name. Changing a Latin name to make it big in music and movies was something many Hispanic hopefuls came to terms with because of the way things were.

So naturally, I feel proud that a fellow Hispanic female can break through a barrier whether in music, movies or even in Washington. Hispanics have come a long way from the age where we suffered from segregation and had to change our names and narratives to make something of our lives.

As Americans we should be proud of Sonia Sotomayor for achieving what we all dream of: the American Dream. But we should be wary of those who try to change policy to make the American Dream unattainable. Unfortunately, Sotomayor’s record proves that she will utilize judicial activism and bias in her rulings to make the American Dream unattainable for many hardworking Americans.

A prime example of her clouded judgment on the bench is her belief in perpetuating racial and ethnic barriers by subscribing to a belief that ethnicity and gender make grant wiser discretion than others.

“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,” said Sotomayor in a 2001 speech at the University of California at Berkeley.

Liberal commentators and the news media have asked us to view the comment in its context. As such, take note that the speech was reprinted by the Berkeley La Raza Law Journal. La Raza has been known for its extremist positions and have also strongly advocated muzzles on the First Amendment like the proposed “fairness doctrine.”

One of Sotomayor’s most analyzed cases is now pending on the United States Supreme Court. Ricci vs. Destefano is a case that deals with test scores of 118 applicants of the New Haven, Connecticut Fire Department. The ruling, which included Sotomayor’s judgment, was in favor of the city’s decision to toss out the test scores. These scores would determine eligibility of promotion, with spots reserved specifically for the top performers. The top performers in of the pool of 118 applicants included 17 whites and two Hispanics.

“They know if they read the books and studied, it means more money in their pockets for the rest of their lives. To Sotomayor, it didn’t cost her a dime. It cost these guys a lifetime,” explained Lt. James Blakeslee in a Wall Street Journal Blog entry.

Blind justice, as represented by Lady Justice herself, would argue that the courts treat all individuals equal under the law, regardless of their race, ethnicity or gender. This is a judicial philosophy that is seemingly rejected by Sotomayor, who on numerous occasions has stressed that her gender and ethnicity grant her the ability to make a wiser decision than a white male.

“Since the 2008 election, people have been asking what conservatism stands for. Well, if nothing else, it stands unequivocally against justice as empathy — and unequivocally for the principle of blind justice.” wrote Charles Krauthammer in a Washington Post Op-Ed.

Fellow Americans and to my fellow Hispanic females, I implore you to look past Sotomayor’s narrative and look at her record.

8 Comments

kyle
2:53 pm CST
June 05, 2009

Just want to say it isn’t only hispanics who change their names in order to become famous, mark twain isnt the authors real name, just one example off the top of my head.

Maggie
5:34 pm CST
June 05, 2009

John Wayne was Marion Morrison. Leslie Townes Hope is commonly known as Bob Hope. Natalie Wood was Natalia Niklaevna Zakharenko. David Bowie was David Robert Jones. Eve Arden was Eunice Quedens. Julie Andrews was Julia Wells. Dean Martin was Dino Paul Crocetti. Marilyn Monroe was Norma Jean Baker. Tony Curtis was Bernard Schwartz. Jayne Mansfield was Vera Jayne Palmer. Gary Cooper was James Frank Cooper. Take note – some of these names were not ethnic at all. Just the way they did it back then. To be a star you changed your name. You can now attempt to attach ethnicity to the moniker change – but, it was not necessarily the key.

Radman
6:19 pm CST
June 05, 2009

Thank you very much for your article, Ms. Morales. It is important to publically illustrate that many minorities will not (and should not) arbitrarily base their support for either an elected or an appointed position on the candidate’s gender or ethnicity. In this case where a lifetime appointment is possible, judicial temperment, ideology, her past close relationships with two radical activist groups — La Raza and the Puerto Rican Legal defense Fund (12 years on the board, 1980-92) — and an apparent “agenda of empathy” that seems to be lurking only slightly beneath the surface, are all important factors to be considered…and seriously questioned by the Senators on the Judiciary Committee.

With regard to “name changes” to facilitate professional success, this is real life, not Hollywood! The surname of the candidate is not really relevant to this discussion; however, Sonia Sotomayor’s political philosophy and core beliefs regarding a judge’s role on the bench are critical to any decision regarding her approval or disqualification by the Senate.

Personally, I’d like to see a couple of published interviews with Alberto Gonzales and Miguel Estrada regarding how the “tolerant” liberal left-wingers treated them.

CWJensen
6:44 pm CST
June 05, 2009

Radman has it correct, but DO NOT expect it to happen…………………………………………The liberals burn Conservative witches they elect Liberal ones.

Joe Pendleton
8:01 pm CST
June 05, 2009

Many people change their name, and for many reasons. For instance, William Blythe, aka Bill Clinton, lied to the American people about sex with large women. Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, led an evil empire and attempted to conquer the universe. Barry Soetoro, aka Barrack Obama, deceived the American people and is attempting to create his idea of a Socialist Utopia.

Changing one’s name is not a crime, so why do so many criminals change theirs?

U. S. Citizen
1:06 am CST
June 05, 2009

Realisticallly all judges are activist judges according to their own political and ethnic leanings. What the honorable Sonia Sotomayor expressed is racial preference which, whites have practiced since the beginning of the U.S.A.

It was a convenience, to change your name to one that was more Anglo-Saxon because of an activist culture against non Anglo-Saxon names and to a greater extent to non-white appearance.

With her judicial experience which exceeds anyone on the Supreme Court, the honorable Sonia Sotomayor should and will be the next Supreme Court Justice, and the U.S.A. will be a greater country for her approval.

Bob Thompson
7:18 am CST
June 05, 2009

Yes, let’s look at her record…all but one of her decisions that wound up in front of SCOTUS was overturned. Maybe it was her predudice that was overturned?

Anna Sentari
9:30 pm CST
June 05, 2009

kyle is right – half of the hollywood hunks of the 60’s were not called by their names – Troy Donahue on down. and what is with the ‘woe is me’ anthem being played here.

can we move on already, this is wasting valuable energy on something that is a done deal.

will the conservative movement, even in its disarray, PLEASE pick some battles that aren’t foregone conclusions and make some progress here? the tea parties were a great start – but that movement is being undermined.

TAXES and BIG GOVERNMENT – FOCUS please!