News on Sotomayor: Senator's comment draws criticism from Latino leaders

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/politics/ny-pohisp1612972897jul15,0,2559492.story

Note: Click Link for Video. ~ PSL

Senator's comment draws criticism from Latino leaders

BY SUMATHI REDDY |sumathi.reddy@newsday.com

11:28 PM EDT, July 15, 2009

US Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor answers questions during the third day of confirmation hearings. (Getty Images Photo / July 15, 2009)

It may have elicited laughter during Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearing Wednesday, but Sen. Tom Coburn's reference to television character Ricky Ricardo also sparked criticism from Latino leaders and advocates.

In fact, it was the second comment in as many days that left Latinos perplexed at the line of questioning of some senators.

"This seems to be another instance of the growing pains we must deal with while our country is trying to move away from old stereotypes," said Assemb. Phil Ramos (D- Central Islip).

The joking comment in question - that Sotomayor, who is of Puerto Rican descent, would have a lot of 'splainin' to do - was a popular refrain of the Ricky Ricardo character, a Cuban bandleader on the "I Love Lucy" television show.

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Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, made the comment in jest right after Sotomayor had talked hypothetically about getting a gun to shoot him in self-defense. "If I go home, get a gun, come back and shoot you, that may not be legal under New York law because you would have alternative ways to defend . . . " she said.

"You'll have lots of 'splainin' to do," Coburn said.

Luis Valenzuela, executive director of the Long Island Immigrant Alliance, said "oftentimes, comedy perpetuates these stereotypes and they're no less damaging than when they're not in jest."

The comment came a day after Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) pointed out to Sotomayor that Court of Appeals Judge Jose Cabranes disagreed with her decision in a firefighter affirmative action case. Cabranes, he noted, is also "of Puerto Rican ancestry."

In a statement, Lillian Rodriguez-Lopez, president of the Hispanic Federation, an organization of Hispanic community service agencies in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, called that remark "baffling."

"First, he focuses on the need to uphold the law based on the Constitution and legal precedent, and then he expects our judges to think exactly alike based on a shared ethnicity," Rodriguez-Lopez said.

Legis. Ricardo Montano (D-Central Islip) said he doesn't believe Coburn's comments Wednesday were mean-spirited, but said they were "in poor taste."

"I've heard worse and I'm sure that it was an attempt to be humorous, but it's not," he said. "This type of humor should be left to the comedians. In a Senate confirmation hearing for a Latina justice to the Supreme Court it's not funny

 

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Comment: All this blockage by White Men in Power should inspire all

non-White peoples to participate in the democratic process, such as

it is, despite its fundamental flaws and test the system by being aware

of the news, getting involved in politics, overcoming any asinine apathy

and together with all progressive minded people we can have a huge

impact on the state of the nation. Register to Vote Now!

If we had more non-White people in Congress, that is, Third World people

whose ancestry is from Aztlan-Latin America, Africa and Asia, she would

not have to go through all this drilling by patently prejudiced and possibly

White racist individuals.

Of course, the majority of the White Congress would have preferred to have

a WHITE MAN to be nominated! Let us now fool ourselves or be lulled into

sleep. Amerika is still an extreme racist country, that is, racist against non-

White people by White people. Plus, many African-American people are also

prejudice, at least prejudice, against Latino people, especially  if they are not

U.S. citizens.

So let's look at what is going on here, question your non-Latino friends and

see in a clearer light what is really going on in their heads!

Support Judge Sotomayor!

Education for Liberation!
Peter S. Lopez ~aka: Peta
Sacramento, California,Aztlan
Yahoo Email: peter.lopez51@yahoo.com
http://anhglobal.ning.com/profile/peta51

Join the Alliance for a New Humanity!
http://anhglobal.ning.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Humane-Rights-Agenda/

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