Thanks for ruining this day for me, Barack.
Today President Obama nominated the first Hispanic to the Supreme Court. Not only a Hispanic but a fellow Puerto Rican. Under the right circumstances I would be bursting with joy. Can you imagine that? A Boricua Supreme Court Justice? Heck yes!
But my longing for celebration is quickly curtailed by the realization that this nomination was purely political in nature. There is no honest intent here to award merit. There is an intent to diminish the individual and perpetuate the lie and stereotype that members of a racial minority all share the same goals and experiences. And with this misguided view of race, there is an intent to hopefully secure the growing Hispanic vote.
See, this is different from when José Ferrer became the first Hispanic to win an Oscar; or when Franklin Chang-Diaz became the first Hispanic to go into space; or when Antonia Coello Novello became the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as U.S. Surgeon General; or when Oscar Hijuelos became the first Hispanic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; or when Roberto Clemente became the first Hispanic baseball player to reach 3,000 hits, etc. These individuals (keyword here) achieved greatness by simply being great in their field of work. Hispanic or not Hispanic, they were simply the best of the best. Race wasn’t a major element that played out in their favor. If anything, race was a major element that played out against them and many that came before them. Race was a by-product of their greatness, it wasn’t their only product.
From the moment I first heard Sotomayor’s name (quickly after David Souter announced his retirement), the main thing that’s been talked about her is her race. She’s been reduced to a politically convenient pawn and an affirmative action puppet. Her nomination is nothing more than an attempt to “diversify” the Supreme Court. The major factor in her nomination wasn’t her greatness, it was her race.
Beyond her race, there are some troubling aspects of Sotomayor’s judicial experience (primarily her handling of the Ricci v. DeStefano case), and statements she’s made (“Courts is where policy is made”, “Latina women make better conclusions than White males”, etc. ) that hint at a sort of odd approach to being a judge.
Because I am fully aware of the proper role of the Supreme Court and the function Justices are supposed to serve, I am convinced Sotomayor is not the best and/or right person for the job. But this is irrelevant to the collectivists. Their job is to classify everyone into neat little race/class boxes and continue a highly racialized environment that has been gaining steam since Obama’s election. Slowly, everything has become more and more about the rich versus the poor and White versus everyone else.
I find it peculiar that the most ardent supporters of affirmative action and forced “diversity” tend to be these urban White lefties who seem to be stricken with a bizarre case of White guilt. While I am amused by their condescension, I am confused by their inability to recognize that the very “diversity” they are trying to push is the worst type of racism we have today. It is a racism that encourages and rewards reverse racism. It is the type of racism that ensures America will never reach a post-racial reality. It is a racism that seeks to place itself at the very fabric of the American dream, which I hope is still liberty and individuality, and transform it completely.
This is still a good day. But it could have been better. Much, much better. It would have been better had race been irrelevant or not as prominent. It would have been better had Sotomayor not been relegated as that “Hispanic woman” judge. It would have been better if the SCOTUS vacancy hadn’t been treated as a racial quota matter. It would have been a truly great day had the candidates been judged by the content of their character.
