Many people would define their summer breaks as a time of watching an infinite array of reruns. Well my summer so far has been dominated by the voice of news journalists coming from my TV. There have been many things happening in the last week, Obama's speech in Cairo, and even the latest Jon and Kate news. But one thing that time and time again gets my attention is the news about latest Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.From the beginning I saw this women as a great inspiration, she has broken so many barriers as a Latina women. Barriers that I aspire to reach in my future. Although an aspect that the news continuously comes up with, are the accusations of her being a racist. People have picked up these accusations after she wrote in an essay, "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." In my opinion I don't see this as a racist remark to white men, she is just showing that a person who is not Caucasian will most likely have a more challenging life that will fill them with an inside look into the real world. A world that isn't defined by the size of the home you live in, or the amount of home runs you once made on your little league baseball team.
But this sudden attack on a innocent women shows how everybody who is criticizing her as a racist, is a racist. People had to quickly find a reason to discriminate her, saying she is a reversed racist. Why couldn't people just accept her for what she is, and what she thinks? I'm pretty sure that if a white male had been nominated, people wouldn't act so critically towards him.
While watching my favorite news on Univision, my idol Jorge Ramos introduced people to a report about stereotypes being made about Sotomayor. This is when my buttons were pushed because Sotomayor was depicted in a cartoon as nothing more than a pinata. We supposedly live in a country where politicians are seen for their strengths, and apparently Sotomayor's strength is to be the laughing stock of others.
I hope that Sotomayor is chosen to be on the Supreme Court. She is a qualified women, who not only is a women, but a strong Latina women. A person that should be seen for her strong character, rather than unimportant past comments.
Lissette, all I can say is wow. You think that a white person can not have any life expereince that is hard, that we all judge by what we have? That knife cuts both ways. It's disgusting how on BOTH SIDES race is being thrown around. Why can't she be a strong woman, without mentioning she's a Latina? That old men can be fools, but that they have to be white? My life isn't challenging Lissette? I will never have trouble because I am white? And you're right on one count, if it was a white male, nothing would have been said. Niether you nor I can change that, but what gets me angry is that you are making vast assumptions based on race, which is something we should all try to avoid. Unimportant past comments? That is how the political world works. Everything you have ever said and done will be scrutinized. Didn't we thrash Geroge Bush for his ignorant spouting off the top of his head? So does me saying this make a racist, or does it make me just as human as you are, and that I can experience life that has struggle too?
ReplyDeleteStop the crap. Here's the deal:
ReplyDeleteSotomayor was taken out of context. I love how everyone wants to bring racism into this.
She did NOT say, "I THINK that..", she said "I would hope that..", for starters.
Also, she's not comparing only race, either. She says 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.."
tts not Latina vs. white, people. Its a wise person with rich experiences vs. a person who hasn't lived that life. Its what she said. Yes, including "white" and "Latina" probably weren't the best choice of words, but I think someone who graduates from Princeton summa cum laude (latin for "the highest honor"), has won the Pyne Prize (highest general award given to undergraduate Princeton undergraduates), AND has a J.D.(Juris Doctor, first professional graduate degree and professional doctorate in law) from Yale law school PROBABLY knows what they're talking about.
Amazing progress Lissette--I remember when you wrote on Title IX in my sixth grade class--you had talent then and have continued to expand it. Do not always agree with you, but am supportive of your talent and your right to point of view. Mrs. Nelson
ReplyDelete