El Diario/La Prensa Editorial
April 02, 2009
Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York are urging President Obama to appoint a Latino to the United States Supreme Court. EL DIARIO/LA PRENSA joins their call.
Recognizing that the president is likely to have the opportunity to nominate a justice, Schumer and Gillibrand have asked him to consider two high caliber candidates-Judge Sonia Sotomayor and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.
Latinos are 15 percent of the U.S. population. But you would never know that from looking at the federal judiciary, where only seven percent of judges are Hispanic. That gross underrepresentation must come to an end-at the highest levels.
A native New Yorker, Sotomayor has been supported by both Republicans and Democrats in her appointments to the federal bench. She served as District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York prior to her 1998 appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Salazar, a former senator and attorney general of Colorado, also has a distinguished record. But we must note another glaring imbalance on the Supreme Court: out of its nine justices, only one is a woman.
Should a vacancy emerge on the Court, Sotomayor should be at the top of Obama’s list. She is an experienced judge with excellent credentials. And she happens to be Hispanic.
The Supreme Court is a cornerstone of our democracy. Its decisions reverberate throughout the nation, affecting public and private spheres and everyday citizens. The individuals who uphold this institution must reflect the diversity from which our nation draws its strength.
Obama should seize the opportunity to build on his message of inclusion, fairness and diversity. The president can make more than a historic appointment-he can set the tone for our children and generations to come.
Showing posts with label Ken Salazar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ken Salazar. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Congressman Nydia Velazquez - Op Ed from El Diario
Feb 28, 2009
One of the greatest privileges of the presidency is the ability to appoint Supreme Court justices. Nine out of the last ten presidents have done so, with Jimmy Carter being the one exception. In fact, only a handful of presidents have not had this distinct honor. Given the odds, it is likely that Barack Obama will get a chance to make his own nomination. In doing so, he will have a unique opportunity to give a historically excluded community a seat at the table.
It is high time for a Latino or Latina to serve on this nation’s highest court. We now make up 15 percent of the U.S population, and by 2050 that number is expected to reach 30 percent. As the fastest growing community in the nation, we have a deep pool of talent to draw from. Already, Hispanic leaders from new Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to recently confirmed Labor Secretary Hilda Solis are changing the face of American leadership. The presence of a Hispanic Supreme Court Justice would underscore the growing influence of our community, and would bring pride to millions. Just as importantly, it would inspire greater confidence in the integrity of the process, and contribute to the quality of judicial decisions.
Because the Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the United States, its actions deeply impact the lives of ordinary people. It has the power to protect our liberties, and to uphold the highest ideals of American democracy. At the same time, it can close the courthouse door to those seeking relief from discrimination, prejudice and all forms of injustice. That is why the composition of the Court is so critical and why it must reflect the population and the hopes and aspirations of the people it serves. A Justice who has shared the life experiences of the least privileged among us would bring a valuable perspective to the promises of the Founding Fathers. He or she should also be an outstanding figure in the community who has impeccable academic credentials and work experience. Of course, any nominee must be intellectually honest, of the highest integrity and must possess sound judgment, outstanding character and a profound sense of fairness.
Our standards are lofty, but our hope is realistic. Greater diversification of the High Court to include, for the first time, a Judge of Latino/a heritage, can only serve to further broaden the contours of justice. I call upon the President to see that the highest court in the land becomes all that it can be and nominate-when the time comes-a Latino/a to our highest court so that this nation can live up to the words engraved in stone on the Supreme Court: “Equal Justice Under Law.”
Nydia M. Velazquez, U.S. Representative
Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
One of the greatest privileges of the presidency is the ability to appoint Supreme Court justices. Nine out of the last ten presidents have done so, with Jimmy Carter being the one exception. In fact, only a handful of presidents have not had this distinct honor. Given the odds, it is likely that Barack Obama will get a chance to make his own nomination. In doing so, he will have a unique opportunity to give a historically excluded community a seat at the table.
It is high time for a Latino or Latina to serve on this nation’s highest court. We now make up 15 percent of the U.S population, and by 2050 that number is expected to reach 30 percent. As the fastest growing community in the nation, we have a deep pool of talent to draw from. Already, Hispanic leaders from new Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to recently confirmed Labor Secretary Hilda Solis are changing the face of American leadership. The presence of a Hispanic Supreme Court Justice would underscore the growing influence of our community, and would bring pride to millions. Just as importantly, it would inspire greater confidence in the integrity of the process, and contribute to the quality of judicial decisions.
Because the Supreme Court is the highest judicial body in the United States, its actions deeply impact the lives of ordinary people. It has the power to protect our liberties, and to uphold the highest ideals of American democracy. At the same time, it can close the courthouse door to those seeking relief from discrimination, prejudice and all forms of injustice. That is why the composition of the Court is so critical and why it must reflect the population and the hopes and aspirations of the people it serves. A Justice who has shared the life experiences of the least privileged among us would bring a valuable perspective to the promises of the Founding Fathers. He or she should also be an outstanding figure in the community who has impeccable academic credentials and work experience. Of course, any nominee must be intellectually honest, of the highest integrity and must possess sound judgment, outstanding character and a profound sense of fairness.
Our standards are lofty, but our hope is realistic. Greater diversification of the High Court to include, for the first time, a Judge of Latino/a heritage, can only serve to further broaden the contours of justice. I call upon the President to see that the highest court in the land becomes all that it can be and nominate-when the time comes-a Latino/a to our highest court so that this nation can live up to the words engraved in stone on the Supreme Court: “Equal Justice Under Law.”
Nydia M. Velazquez, U.S. Representative
Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
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