Sotomayor nomination strikes a chord with Denton residents and NT students
DENTON,Texas - The Senate Judiciary Committee may have delayed its verdict on the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court, but NT faculty and students have already made up their minds on Sotomayor’s historic nomination.
“If Sotomayor gets confirmed it will give Hispanic grade-school students something to aspire to. This nomination is a sign that ethnicity should not be a reason to not aim high,” said Dr. Hensel, a political science professor at NT.
“I think it is great to see a Hispanic woman being nominated to the highest court in the land,” said Jessica Gonzalez, an Education senior.
Despite some slight hesitations about Sotomayor’s choice of words, Denton residents, NT students, and NT faculty are very confident about her future impact on the United States Supreme Court.
“I feel very confident that she will use her position to make a positive impact in America,” said Jessica Gonzalez, an education senior.
Keely Baker, a math teacher at Guyer High School in Denton said, “She stands by her principles and that is something I definitely admire.”
Andrew Jancaric, a Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) senior is glad to see a Hispanic woman nominated to the United States Supreme Court. “It is really important that the Supreme Court justices reflect the diversity of America,” said Jancaric. “I think her nomination should be celebrated.”
Although Jancaric believes that there should be a diversity of races and cultures in politics, he feels that there should already be racial integration in the Supreme Court.
Sotomayor’s controversial “wise Latina” remarks have caused controversy both at her confirmation hearings and in Denton, Texas.
Baker is concerned by the Supreme Court nominee’s language. “I appreciate that she is proud of her heritage, but because I don’t know the nature surrounding the comments, I am apprehensive about how her ethnicity might come across in some of her rulings,” Baker said.
“A Hispanic woman is going to have more diverse life experiences than an able-bodied white man. That is just a fact,” said Katie Law, a psychology senior.
Dr. Hensel believes that the “wise Latina” remarks were not a big deal. “She was playing to the audience. This comment has nothing to do with her political beliefs or how she will make her policies,” Dr. Hensel said. “Ethnicity is an uncomfortable subject, even in the business world. People are under constant scrutiny, and that includes a person’s background,” said Dr. Hensel.
According to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings last week were “number one in three of the five media sectors including online (24%), network news (18%) and cable, where it filled 33% of the airtime studied.”
Baker is amazed at the continuous scrutiny of the media during the confirmation hearings. “It is nice to find out information about the Supreme Court nominee, but I am afraid that the media’s constant scrutiny scares off other candidates.”
During the confirmation hearings, Sotomayor was asked her opinions about many controversial subjects, with the most questions concerning her views on abortion. According to Dr. Hensel that was because of her political affiliation, not because she was woman.
“President Barack Obama is a Democrat whose views on social issues tend to be more liberal, which includes abortion rights. The general sense is that the President would not have appointed Sotomayor if she was strongly against any of his views,” Dr. Hensel said.
Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic female to be nominated to the Supreme Court. Her confirmation hearings have come to close, but she is still awaiting the decision of the Senate Judiciary Committee. On Tuesday the GOP requested “more time to examine the U.S. Supreme Court nominee’s record” according to CNN.com.
