Sonia Sotomayor: Equal Justice Under Law?

[StinkyKnobcheese]

This is exactly why Judges should be directly elected. They are then held accountable for their racism and sexism. Activist judge is an oxymoron.

[yposurfer]

These videos are so over the top, they could be ran on SNL, and people would LTHO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[schecter69]

She should get the position. She is biased and very racist.Our high court judges should be impartial to all colors and sexuality.Merit depends on qualifications ,not whether she is black, white , hispanic ormale or female.. She has made her mind up on several issues in the courts and it's all racial oriented.

[mreloid]

I have read what she said, not just the sound bites, and understand and agree with it. Stop the knee jerk reaction and read.

[bobcrunch]

The holy trinity of the Left: Race, Sex, and Class. They create chaos by pitting groups against each other then claim that the only solution is more and more big governent. They promote warfare between the races, sexes, and classes. Let me be more specific: It starts with the elites in the Ivy League. Obama said that he will "totally transform" the greatest country that ever existed. She is a good start for the transformation, but she's probably better than others on his "short list".

[well99]

She is a racist.Judges are not suppose to be bias and she is.

[poconopete50]

amen

[AirborneIdentity]

Ignore my advice at your own party's peril.

[jane5457]

If i worked i a warehouse and as a worker I told the company I worked for .that I as a woman a latina woman and my backgroung..am better than any white man or woman for that matter,I my friends,in the real WORLD,they would KICK my ASS out OF THERE SO FAST the DOOR would hit me on the ASS. call it what it is come on you all know.

[AirborneIdentity]

I feel there is a smear campaign underway which will alienate the very constituencies the GOP needs support from.

I would advise GOP and lobbyist groups to tread EXTREMELY CAREFULLY on issues surrounding race.

[jane5457]

you are assuming that all latinos think alike ...think again latinos have always thought for themselfs and sure there might be a few exceptions, like in all races but, the repb, dont have to worry latinos want fairness first , they will still get the vote anyone who believes that the latinos will hold it against, them if they ask questons of this woman ..are wrong latinos also like for people to be questioned just like every other nomi, would be.latinos think for themselfs .

[AirborneIdentity]

You are right that I am assuming all Hispanics think alike.

Except unlike you, I'm right. There is no Hispanic in the country, let alone the world, that would not be offended if conservatives claim, as they continue to do, that a white male is more qualified than a Hispanic.

Doesn't matter what your political affiliation is. Hispanics are universally against people who attempt to diminish their intelligence.

Therefore it is not just coincidence that Hispanics do not vote Republican.

[snorp73]

Nobody is saying a white male would be more qualified. THEY are saying that a latina female is more qualified to make certain decisions from a court. It isn't conservatives who focus on race. We weren't crying when Republicans gave us Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, Miguel Estrada, or Condi Rice and embracing saying "thank God we are finally equal!" We simply realize we are equal based on our own individual merit. We save the race cryfests for liberal appointees in the media.

[AirborneIdentity]

i dunno i just think the leaders of the GOP hate minorities

[EscapeHatchery]

AirborneIdentity : Screw you AND the GOP. Bigotry is BIGOTRY, plain and simple, ok moron?

Get a life.

[snorp73]

GOP hates nobody and there is no factual proof to back that up. Especially with the long list of appointees set forth by Republicans that I just gave you. This nonsense of minorities and triumph only occurs when the the minorities are of the liberal persuasion.

[AirborneIdentity]

i dunno i just think GOP needs to do a better job at supporting affirmative action, healthcare, criminal justice reform, drug sentencing laws, etc

[jane5457]

When I say latinos dont only vote dems, believe me I know I am not assuming I know,and nobody is trying to say a white man is more quailified FOCOUS the deal is a latina is not more qualified, or any race the person elected should be qualified, for what they are nomi, for..not based on race I remember what the dems did to eric estrada, and believe me the latinos still voted dem. so latinos come from BOTH parties ..nice try to switch, the issue...ron paul is cool dont you think?

[AirborneIdentity]

meh, i'm just saying that in general, GOP pisses Hispanics off.

they should try to stop doing that. comparing Sotomayor to KKK like their leader Rush Limbaugh always does will not help Hispanics

[ScottyDog2]

In her recent to descriminate against whites and hispanics her decision against Ricci is a Hispanic.She reads racial preferences and quotas into the Constitution, even to the point of dishonoring those who preserve our public safety.

Both my neighbors are Hispanic and they oppose this affirmative action Latina Judge.

[snorp73]

That is nonsense. The GOP continues to stand for individual liberty and we don't need any justice of any race judging based on personal experience. The law is equal, people are equal - a white justice or a latina justice will make the same decision if the truly know what they are doing.

[rfalasch]

One problem with using positive ethnic or cultural stereotypes to define you or to be part of your qualifications is that stereotypes are a two-way street, and you are also inviting the negative ones. Just let your individual accomplishments and character define you. If those are not enough, maybe you should leave it to someone else.

[rcroteau1]

America deserves better, indeed. Obama should have picked an inspiring woman, raised in a public housing tenement in the South Bronx, who rose to be valedictorian of her class, graduate Princeton with honors, edit the Yale Law Journal, then work as a prosecutor, a corporate lawyer before being appointed to the bench by G. Bush, where she's served with distinction and been praised for her sound legal arguments.

Oh yeah, he did.

And you can't stop her, ha ha.

[sopmodm4]

Hmmm,subjective thinking,racism,gender discrimination...What's not left to despise about this joke of a judge?

[bobhardball]

YES, America deserves better but not the distorted facts mentioned in your ad. ´Cause I have just read the FULL speech and found NOTHING offensive to me as a Conservative white male. NOTHING!!!

[DrewCourtney]

This might be the most dishonest ad I've ever seen. Congratulations!

[forstudentpower]

People's minds are affected by the social and cultural environments they grow up in???? GASP! How dare a jurist think such a scientifically obvious thought!

[irpwny]

forstudent: "People's minds are affected by the social and cultural environments they grow up in???? GASP! How dare a jurist think such a scientifically obvious thought!"

Whether it's a 'scientifically obvious' thought or not is irrelevant to whether or not your own personal prejudices should affect your decisions as a judge.

Application of the law is supposed to be objective. Your experiences, your beliefs, your gender and your race are all irrelevant to that fact.

Try again.

[pseudolover]

then we better get rid of the whole court b/c most of them have expressed how their experiences affect their judgment, just like it would the rest of us, just like it did when the court ruled black people were 3/4 of a human being.

[irpwny]

pseudo: "then we better get rid of the whole court b/c most of them have expressed how their experiences affect their judgment, just like it would the rest of us"

I'm sorry the point went over your head. It was a normative claim, not a statistical one.

Whether or not judges allow their emotions to interfere with their decisions is irrelevant to how the law should be applied and practiced, and how judicial decisions should be made.

[adrockamd]

i love how your statement (one of the most logical i've seen) has a minus 4 rating haha....ahh god bless america...

"Application of the law is supposed to be objective. Your experiences, your beliefs, your gender and your race are all irrelevant to that fact."

I mean seriously what is the problem with that statement above? Are you people saying that since her gender, latino heritage and experiences will effect her judgements then a white male has the right to do exactly the same?

[irpwny]

adrock: "Are you people saying that since her gender...etc."

I get the feeling they don't really know what they're saying.

:)

[forstudentpower]

"Application of the law is supposed to be objective."

That's the Saturday Morning Children's Special description of the judicial process. Look into things like "legal realism" and the "indeterminacy thesis" for lots of very good reasons why that isn't the case, and more importantly *can't* be the case.

[irpwny]

forstud: "That's the Saturday Morning Children's Special description of the judicial process"

Not quite, it's a normative view of ethics and jurisprudence.

'Look at things like "legal realism" for why it can't be the case'

Whether or not it isn't the case is irrelevant to whether or not it should be the case. And if the law can't be practiced objectively, and subjective emotionalism justifies judicial decisions, then the law is entirely useless.

I'm sorry you're unable to understand that.

[JoesGreatIdea]

LOL. not one of those quotes is a complete thought. i might be interested in what she said before and after those quotes for a thing called context.

This ad is FUNNY!!! like most republican ads.

[1326yummy]

Why is everyone shocked by Obama's pick? The American people elected an anti-American Marxist dictator to the presidency. And the election wasn't even close. These are the consequences of electing a president who hates this country and wants to transform it into a socialist dictatorship. Try again in 2012, if the USA still exists.

[rcroteau1]

1326yummy - An "elected dictator."

Man, you're funny.