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Lawmakers who are no doubt familiar with Judge Samuel Alito confronted Sotomayor with claims – from anonymous sources – that she’s an ill-tempered bully. They “educated” her about the role of the judicial branch, asked her to expound on the dangers of nunchucks, advised her to quit the identity politics, asked her to repeat her “wise Latina” remark from memory just for the hell of it, and informed her the world is “bigger than the Bronx.” In a stupefying display of idiocy, Senator Tom Coburn invoked Ricky Ricardo – telling Sotomayor she “[had] lots of ‘splainin’ to do!” Members of the committee accused her of “reverse racism” and questioned whether she could possibly judge “objectively.”
Sotomayor was cool and collected throughout the proceedings. Her speaking style is almost startling in its calm, deliberate eloquence. She showed remarkable patience. She had to. She has most likely spent her life perfecting an air of coolheadedness, knowing that any deviation from which would be used as evidence of her “fiery Latina” temperament. Not that her interrogators didn’t try.
Sotomayor knows full well that she has to work twice as hard and be twice as qualified to be taken half as seriously as her white and/or male competitors. In a way, the disadvantages she’s faced as a woman of color have prepared her for the greatness she’s achieved – like a weightlifter building stronger muscle. Because of that, she poses a very real threat to the powers that be. Not all the PTB, though; bright, qualified white men have nothing to fear. But others, who gained power by virtue of having been born white and male and whose only talent is Bible-beating, stand to lose a lot when minorities and women are given a fair shot at competition in the public sphere.
Privilege can be a handicap that way. It allows those who have it to move through life without developing actual skills, intellect, or that most dreaded of qualities: empathy. Some of that privilege is reduced and suddenly their atrophied muscles are exposed. On the contrary, Sotomayor has had to prove herself capable, “despite” her race and sex, for years. WOC aren’t presumed exemplary; they must prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Regardless of what one thinks of her judicial philosophy, Sotomayor has done that. I admire the woman even more after watching the hearings unfold.
Sarah, if you didn’t see it you should check out The Daily Show from last night, they had two hilarious segments about this.
Oh I saw it and I was cackling for the entire half hour. The Wyatt Cenac segment was amazing.
So so funny. “the intellectuals”
“Privilege can be a handicap that way. It allows those who have it to move through life without developing actual skills, intellect, or that most dreaded of qualities: empathy.”
WORD.
See: Bush, George W.
Oh hell, see the whole fucking Republican party.
Her poker-face was phenomenal. I imagined her brushing that dirt off her shoulder, like Obama channeling Jay-Z during the primaries.
Somehow I don’t think my Bronx-born mother would be asked if she knew that the world is bigger than the Bronx. Although she is white, so maybe Sessions et al wouldn’t be freaking out and grasping at racist straws.
@s.o.l.a.g.: Yeah, I thought that was an extraordinary statement–so fucking patronizing and ignorant. The woman’s an Ivy League educated jurist for fuck’s sake.
And it’s so fucking racist. No one ever would have said to Samuel Alito “the world’s bigger than Trenton.” Which is where he grew up as the son of immigrants. And his parents were born and raised in a foreign country, whereas Sotomayor’s parents and grandparents were American citizens.
Love this post Sarah.
Hate that ricky ricardo “splainin’” thing. It makes me want to kill the person slowly with a letter opener.
I really don’t have anything to add to this, but am nodding my head in total agreement.
And Becky’s comment about W/the whole Republican party was right on too, I have to say.
The piling-up of petty complaints is an important aspect of conservative movement culture.
Why do certain White people think everyone else who isn’t White must hate them and is out for revenge?
Ya know what White people, we are just not that into you.
The question of judicial temperment is oozing with sexist assumptions. I am quite sure that whatever Sotomayor does on the bench would be considered well within the boundaries of normal behavior were it being done by a male. Asking pointed questions, being impatient with poor preparation or argumentation, asserting herself from the bench-all reasonable and common judicial behavior. If you want someone to hold your hand while you make an oral argument, you shouldn’t be a litigator, boys.
Once again, SMC, I completely agree with your whole post. This bit in particular resonated for me:
“[B]right, qualified white men have nothing to fear. But others, who gained power by virtue of having been born white and male and whose only talent is Bible-beating, stand to lose a lot when minorities and women are given a fair shot at competition in the public sphere.”
The uber-conservative white men in my family are always moaning about how “your rights [referring to me] are being taken away” by these nuts in DC. Clearly, by “your rights,” they mean “your white privilege.”
It completely grosses me out when crotchety old men hold everyone up to the exact standards that they faced back in the ’60s or earlier, especially when THINGS WERE NOT ACTUALLY THE WAY THEY REMEMBER THEM, NOT AT ALL. Things have changed since the Eisenhower era — and it was not idyllic in 1955, either. Live with it.
I think it’s a good idea to get the opinions of lots of different people on important topics, but maybe that’s just the flaming liberal in me talking.