Saturday, May 30, 2009

Supreme silliness

The controversy over Supreme Court nominee Sotomayer's infamous comment is really getting on my nerves. It's getting really stupid and I don't know why our supersmart President and other politicians aren't handling this better.

So, just to repeat what you've already read or heard dozens of times, here is the statement:

"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."

Now anyone with sense can see that that is a racist statement. Because all you have to do it switch the terms around and you know, yes you know without a shadow of doubt, that if a white man said he would reach a better conclusion than a Latina (or any other group), there would be much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and that man would disappear from public life in an instant.

Now President Obama is saying he's sure she would have restated that. But gives no reason for his belief. As far as I know, she hasn't said anything.

Look, it's so simple. These people who are rushing to defend her and talk about restating and context and all that should just say "yeah, it was a dumb, racist, insulting statement. You are right, no white man could get away with saying that. But here is why she is still the best person for the Supreme Court." And then they should go on with their reasons. Not excuses, reasons. Because, you know, I have no idea why she would make a good Supreme Court Justice other than that she is not a white male. Which to me isn't reason enough.

Judge Sotomayer should also make a statement about this, um, statement. Clear and precise and with acknowledgment that she got away with it only because she is not a white male. She could also enlighten us as to how Latina experience is so much richer and therefore superior to that of the white male.

Why don't they try just being straightforward and truthful? Oh, I forgot, it's politics.

2 comments:

Sandy said...

Unfortunately, I have become so cynical that I gave up on straightforward and truthful some time ago. Nice title, by the way.

DADvocate said...

Implied in statements like that are the assumption that the speaker knows what it's like to be a white male or something else that the speaker is not. Yet, the speaker claims that the white male or what have you cannot possibly know what it's like to be whatever gender or ethic group to which the speaker belongs. Thus, indicating the speaker's poor ability to reach good conclusions.