Just a quick post on what political correctness and "identity politics" have wrought.
Donald Trump is in warm water for his comments on Gonzalo Curiel, the judge handling the lawsuit against Trump University. Trump, perhaps in a poor choice of words to say the least, questioned the judge's ability to be impartial in the case because of his Mexican ancestry and, of course, because Trump wants to build a border wall. First, let me say I don't understand why Trump talks about the Trump University case: nobody cares about it. There are many more important things to discuss. Second, it's probably not a good idea for a politician running for office to assert that a person of a certain ethnicity is incapable of being impartial (This applies, of course, only to Republicans; I'll get back to that). In sum, it is a silly dispute which has opened the floodgates to political correctness and allowed certain Republicans, e.g., Gingrich, Graham, Ryan, Kirk, to seek "strange new respect." Speaker Ryan went so far as to label Trump's comments "textbook racism."
OK, then, as somebody who intends to vote for Trump in November, do I wish this had not happened? Yes, I do but . . . what we actually have here is another classic example of progressive double standards. Let's look at the judge. His parents were Mexican nationals who arrived in the US via uncertain means, shall we say; he was born in East Chicago, Indiana making him an instant American citizen (anchor baby? Perhaps.) Could that background color his assessment of Trump? Isn't the whole progressive argument for diversity and affirmative action precisely that? The claim that certain groups bring a different perspective to issues? Let us turn to no less an authority than Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor cited favorably by the NY Times for saying just that,
Judge Sotomayor questioned the famous notion — often invoked by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her retired Supreme Court colleague, Sandra Day O’Connor — that a wise old man and a wise old woman would reach the same conclusion when deciding cases.
“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,” said Judge Sotomayor . . .
So a "wise Latina woman" . . . I see, I see. So according to the progs, people of different ethnicities reach different conclusions on the basis of the same set of facts. So, then, Trump who advocates a hardline on illegal migration, might just be right in questioning the interpretations by a judge who is here because of the sort of migration that Trump now wants to stop? Presumably, according to Sotomayor, Curiel's life experiences would lead him to be prejudice (literally) against Trump, no?
Let's go a little further. Curiel is a lifelong Democrat and owes his career to his hooks with the Democratic party. Curiel belongs to hispanic activist organizations, including the San Diego chapter of the La Raza Lawyers Association. In fact, La Raza gave a reception in Curiel's honor last month.
Judiciary Reception – RSVP today!
Jun 1, 2015 by Rodrigo Guevara
Please join us for the
San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association Judiciary Reception!
Date: May 25, 2016
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Klinedinst PC-501 W. Broadway, Suite 600, San Diego, CA 92101
RSVP to larazalawyers@gmail.com.
This year we are proud to be honoring Judge Gonzalo Curiel at our reception and recognizing him for his leadership and support to the community and to our Association!
Thank you to our sponsors: Golper, Sullivan & Rivera, GP & The Law Offices of Sergio Feria, APC
Now, I have seen some progs try to spin this all by saying that this La Raza is not the same as the other La Raza, and that THIS La Raza is apolitical . . . yeah, yeah. Go to this La Raza's Mission statement,
Mission Statement
Formed in 1979, with a handful of Latino attorneys, San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association (SDLRLA) has grown to represent over three hundred Latino and Latina lawyers practicing in San Diego County. SDLRLA is one of 18 affiliate bar associations of the California La Raza Lawyers Association, which serves several thousand Latino lawyers practicing in the State of California.
Our purpose is to advance the cause of equality, empowerment and justice for Latino attorneys and the Latino community in San Diego County through service and advocacy. We are dedicated to promoting diversity on both the bench and bar. We support law students with mentorship programs and scholarships.
Our members include current and former state and federal court judges, magistrates, referees, law professors, State Bar committee members, county bar board directors, government officials, elected officials, lawyers practicing in all specialty areas and law students.
Specifically, the goals of SDLRLA are:
• Increase the overall number of Latinos in the legal profession.
• Encourage and support Latino and Latina judicial candidates to apply to the bench
• Advocate for the promotion and retention of Latino and Latina attorneys and judicial officers.
• Improve the professional skills of our members through our certified MCLE programs.
• Provide for the professional and social interaction among our members and other organized bar associations.
• Improve the delivery and access of legal services to the county’s Spanish speaking community.
• Provide role models and mentoring to Latino youth through direct interaction with students and school districts.
• Strongly advocate positions on judicial, economic and social issues to political leaders and state and local bar associations that impact the Latino community.
In addition, it has an endorsement page which lists candidates that it endorses, and you can read up on all it's doing on behalf of "transgender" Latinos, etc. In other words, it's a classic leftist advocacy group.
Imagine a white judge who belonged to something called, say, the White Brotherhood, no that White Brotherhood, the other one . . . OK, OK, you get the point.
The judge should recuse himself.