La Raza........Sotomayor membership and the Supreme Court

Thursday afternoon UPDATE: I wonder what you think of THIS INFORMATION: Yahoo Homepage calls the Republicans "frustrated" and Sotomayor "calm"...a bit from the article says this: "Outnumbered, often frustrated Republicans launched a last-ditch effort Thursday to heighten doubts about Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's judicial temperament, grilling her hard on a key affirmative action case, gun rights and other volatile issues."

Um...are they just stupid, obfuscating, or have they REALLY forgotten the miserably nasty treatment of the Republicans' nominees? Or do they not understand what hearings are about? Aren't hearings to test temperament, grill on important issues? I just wish the Republicans had given a smidgen of what the Dems did to Bork, Thomas, Alito and Roberts.

But, this piece is about LA RAZA and I hope you chime in with your opinion:

I was curious, so I checked into La Raza; Here's a bit of information from the NCLR, National Council of LA RAZA

Overview: Driver's Licences

In recent years there has been much legislation and other activity in the states which impose harsh restrictions specifically on immigrants’ access to state-issued driver’s licenses and identification documents. These proposals go well beyond denying undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses and have the potential to exclude legal immigrants and even U.S. citizens from state-issued identification documents. Moreover, they are of great concern because they prohibit drivers from being properly licensed and insured, discriminate against immigrants and other groups, and make entire communities less safe......There are legitimate and sound avenues for individuals to prove identity which would allow state Departments of Motor Vehicles to fulfill their mission of ensuring safe roads without creating new licensing requirements that would make the driver’s license a de facto proof of legal residency in the United States.

Overview: Racial Profiling

Racial profiling tactics not only violate civil rights, they also undermine the ability of law enforcement to enforce the law effectively. Specifically, when an individual’s race or ethnicity is used to establish a cause for suspicion of a crime, then that individual – along with family members, friends, and neighbors – loses trust in the integrity of law enforcement.

Overview: Home Ownership

Homeownership is the “American Dream” because of the many benefits it provides families. Homeowners tend to have access to better community services and schools, and to more stable neighborhoods, and their children tend to be healthier and do better in school. Moreover, owning a home is the primary way to build wealth in American society. Homeowners are able to leverage their home equity to send their children to college, open new businesses, save for retirement, and enjoy significant tax relief. Unfortunately, Hispanic families have not enjoyed the same access to homeownership as other Americans. Untraditional sources of credit, lack of affordable units and information about the homebuying process, and other market barriers keep many families from becoming homeowners.

NCLR Position

Latino families must have equal access to mortgage financing. To increase Hispanic homeownership substantially, all sectors – public, private, and non-profit – must work together to craft flexible mortgage products and outreach activities that will increase access to the mortgage market. This includes making the increase of Hispanic homeownership both a business and policy priority, demonstrated through strategic planning and allocation of resources. Latino families stand to represent a significant portion of new homeowners in the coming years; their financial needs cannot be ignored.

Overview: Criminal Justice

Like all Americans, Hispanics are concerned about crime and the effects it has on youth, families, and communities. Unfortunately, Latinos do not always feel confident that our criminal justice system properly and fairly addresses crime. Many have negative perceptions of the system because they observe ineffective responses to violent crimes, public offenses, and substance abuse. Some Latinos have been treated unjustly by the system or have been arbitrarily disciplined. Others recognize the disproportionate number of Latinos serving long – and in some cases unjust – prison sentences for nonviolent offenses. In addition, Latino youth are disproportionately represented in the juvenile justice system and receive harsher punishments than their peers, even when they commit the same offense.

Z: This article, click HERE, has some informative and very interesting videos and quotes about La Raza and concerns about Sotomayor's membership. La Raza has a very negative reputation here in Los Angeles, you don't hear anything positive about it at all, though our Mayor is, or was, a longstanding member..... people have always been quite fearful of it......so maybe I'm a bit biased (can I be without sounding racist myself? Is that allowed in our society these days?!) I'm not positive that La Raza membership should disqualify a Supreme Court Justice nominee like Sonia Sotomayor, who apparently is still a member, what do you think after reading more about La Raza? Should Sotomayor's membership mean "CASE CLOSED"?

THURSDAY AFTERNOON: I JUST FOUND THIS:

From the June 17 Washington Times article:

Gender politics have proved a minefield for male Supreme Court nominees. The wife of Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. broke down in tears after aggressive questions at his 2005 Senate confirmation hearings about his reported involvement in a Princeton alumni group that opposed affirmative action.

Justices Antonin Scalia and Anthony M. Kennedy quit all-male clubs when they were being considered for the Supreme Court in the late 1980s, and Justice Harry Blackmun resigned his membership in the exclusive Cosmos Club in 1988.

The only two women to have sat on the court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, were members of the women's networking group, the International Women's Forum, but their memberships did not become a major issue in their confirmation hearings.

Z: Scalia and Kennedy dropped all-male clubs WHEN considered.....Blackmun, too. Looks like Sotomayor is still a member of La Raza.........and Alito's grilling made Mrs. Alito cry with its inferences. WHY NOT SOTOMAYOR, folks? Don't make her cry...just ASK. Some reports are Sotomayor stopped being a member in 2003, some don't. That she'd BE a member is suspect.

(then, I'm curious about the post below...COULD YOU DO THAT? Let me know..thanks!)