Obama’s Supreme Court Nomination

Photo Courtesy of Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Associated Press

“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” –Sonia Sotomayor

Earlier today President Barack Obama announced Sonia Sotomayor as his nomination for the Supreme Court. It lightens my heart to see a poster child of the American dream being given the opportunity for such a prestigious role.

Sotomayor was raised in a South Bronx housing project by her mother after her father died when she was nine years old. She fought through adversity and ending up attending Princeton University. During her senior year at Princeton she received the Pyne Prize, the highest academic honor for undergraduate students. She graduated with her Bachelor’s and after receiving her Juris Doctor at Yale Law School she moved on to become the New York County Assistant DA. Later, after seven years of private practice Sotomayor was nominated for the title of federal judge by George H.W. Bush in November of 1991 and was appointed in August of 1992. While serving as judge for the Southern District of New York of the U.S. District Court she presided over some high profile cases including the 1994 MLB strike and the publishing of Vince Foster’s suicide note. She has served as a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals since being nominated by President Bill Clinton in June of 1997.

I believe that the quote above gives a perfect explanation to why Sonia Sotomayor is an outstanding choice for the United States Supreme Court. The judicial whirlpool of biased and ignorant judges has sucked down too many of our citizens in its time. Someone who has come such a long way, from a South Bronx housing project to the Supreme Court nominee, should be looked at as a hero and hopefully as a sign of changing times. I hope and pray every day that we can become a society where we cherish and welcome people all ethnicity, creed, and walk of life. It is not her ethnicity that makes her the best choice, but her dedication and experience in the judicial system which can hopefully inspire others to follow in her footsteps.

Jeff