This Nation Has A Real Issue with Race

Everywhere I've looked after the announcement that Souter was retiring, there have been comments left and right that the new justice should be such and such a race or ethnicity or some such. I've heard arguments that he should be a WASP. I've heard arguments that he should be gay. I've heard arguments that he should be latino. I've heard arguments that he should be a female. What I hear shocking little of is that he or she should be qualified.

With the impending confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor, I hear a lot of 'oh wonderful, a Latino woman.' To be fair, there is also talk about how she's qualified. But it makes me wonder, do we care too much about race and ethnicity? Personally, I don't think it should matter. I don't care where Sotomayor is from. I don't care if she's Latino or Asian or African or Jamaican, complete with dreadlocks and a love for reggae music. All I care is that she's got the qualifications required. Is she good at interpreting law? Does she understand the consequences of her decisions fully? Will she be fair and unbiased and true to the Constitution? These are the questions that should be asked.

We shouldn't be worrying about her ethnicity or her skin color. These things won't make a difference in the long run.

Heck, I felt this way when Obama was running. I didn't give a care about the fact that he was black. All that concerned me was how I felt he was going to run the office of the President.

I feel that this nation seems to either discriminate minorities or simply try too hard to diversify. Diversification is something that occurs naturally. If we can stop discriminating and stop worrying about who is of what race, diversification will happen on its own. There is no need to force it.

Sonia Sotomayor seems like a good pick, I've only read one article about her, but she seems to be experienced and intelligent. And I really don't care if she's Latino or not.

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. -H. L. Mencken

J Kuhl Signing Off