Race and Politics

Senate Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor begin tomorrow, and much of the discussions have centered around the topic of race. If confirmed by the United States Senate, Sotomayor would become the third female justice and the first Latina woman to sit on the highest court in the land. But Sotomayor's race or sex shouldn't be the launching point for discussions; it should be her previous decisions and statements which should judge her appointment to the Court.

Many Americans are captivated by a person's "race" - more so than someone's character or the beliefs which govern his or her life. America was enthralled that its first black President was elected in 2008. We heard a NCAA college football announcer introduce the 2009 National Championship referee as the first black referee in the game's history. Now we have been bombarded with the news of the appointment of the first Latina woman to the Supreme Court.

Barack Obama was deemed qualified to serve as the 44th President of the United States - hopefully because of what he stood for, not because of the color of his skin. The college football referee in this past football national championship game was chosen because of his experience and qualified past - not because of the color of his skin. And one would hope that Sotomayor's Latina heritage had nothing to do with her nomination.

I'm not saying that an individual's race and heritage should never be mentioned; I am just saying that as Americans, we should be accepted for what we have to bring to the table in any situation - not for the color of his or her skin. If a person is deemed qualified for a certain position, he or she should receive it. Race should be pushed to the backround when any discussions of appointment to any position arise.

All Americans should judge one another on the content of one's character - not of one's skin (as Martin Luther King, Jr so eloquently stated). It is not "racist" to question the qualifications of African Americans, Latinos, or of any other race, anymore than it would be to legitimately question the qualifications of a white person. Sonia Sotomayor should be vetted based on what she has previously said, or on her previous decisions. She should not be given a free pass based on her race, nor should people who are diligently investigating her past be given much grief.