Sonia Sotomayor

The congressional hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor have just finished. You probably never want to hear the phrase "wise Latina woman" again, but I'm afraid I'm going to hash it one more time.

Sotomayor spoke the phrase a few years ago, apparently to Latino students she was trying to inspire. She said that a Latina woman with her personal experiences may make wiser decisions than a white man without those experiences. This caused apoplexy to certain white men in media and Congress when she was nominated for the Supreme Court. These men cried, "reverse racism," but became the poster boys for the very insensitivity of which she spoke.

Most of them opined that if the statement were reversed, that if they had said white men could do better than Latina women in a job such as a judge, they'd be condemned in the press. They may be now, but they forget that for most of the last 500 years in this hemisphere, the prevailing opinion was that white men were superior not just to Latina women but any minority person. Why should we not expect racial differences when we have treated people of other races differently?

Of course a person's outlook, whether they are conservative or liberal, sways their judgments. Why do we care what president is in office? One reason is because of the judicial nominees. It's obvious that over time, conservatives will make different decisions than liberals that affect government, businesses, and all our lives including right to life.

It is also upsetting the congress should focus on this statement when they themselves refuse to make fair immigration laws. With Sonia Sotomayor, maybe Latino people will receive a little more fairness from this country. It's been a long time coming.