Posted by
The Gunny on Monday, June 01, 2009 4:20:56 PM
Today I wrote this letter and emailed it to 40] Senators. Three were unavailable. Wayne Allard, and John Sunnunu's terms were ended in January this year, and Richard Lugar does not accept emails from out of state Republicans? I don't care what state these Senators represent, they represent all of America and I feel it is our duty to let them how we feel about issues important to us. This is the letter I sent:
I am a concerned citizen who is troubled by the nomination of judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States. I do not believe she is qualified as to judicial temperament nor as to her skill as an interpreter of the law (to wit: 60% reversals in the Supreme Court). She represents a potential for divisiveness in the country at a time of chaos in both our economic and political lives. I believe president Obama chose judge Sotomayor specifically for her propensity to favor a specified sector of society regardless of the merits of the case or the rights of those who are discriminated against (e.g. Ricci v DeStefano). It is also very troubling to discover the pains she went through to hide her decision so her colleagues would not discover it.
If we are to maintain our freedoms and liberties, we must have a judicial system peopled with honorable and intelligent people who will interpret the Constitution as the framers intended it to be read and who do not discriminate on the basis of skin color, economic circumstances, religious beliefs, sex, or sexual orientation, or any other modern day social designations. The idea of a balanced and “representative” Supreme Court suggests that we are, in fact, a country of distinct groups based on ethnicity instead of One Country Under God. If the judiciary is allowed to decide cases, on even one of these criteria, then it stands to reason all other ethnicities are, de facto, discriminated against. I am concerned that the blindfold of Justice will be ripped off and discarded.
I hear the arguments that her confirmation will not change the composition of the court. And I understand there are no specific qualifications enumerated by the Founding Fathers regarding SCOTUS nominations. Perhaps not, but common sense should still prevail. I believe affirming Sotomayor will set a devastating precedence in future Supreme Court selections.
I think she deserves her day in court, and I believe this vetting process will, in the end, prove to be a defining moment in our country. It will, I believe, decide if we are hereafter going to be a country that yearns for justice for individuals through rule of law, or are we to be a country that seeks justice for individuals based on their affiliations through some flexible system of arbitrary laws based on empathy?
Who decides on what our status in life is? By what system will we be judged? We have already seen how so many new auto dealerships have been closed down while others remain open due to someone's empathetic and arbitrary decision. Rumors abound they were closed down because they did not support the Obama campaign. True or not, it's just another method that president Obama is using to divide and conquer our country. I am, of course, referring to Abraham Lincoln's statement about a house divided that cannot stand.
I only ask that that you too use the scales of justice and keep the blindfold on. Do not vote on the basis of race, color, social status, compelling personal stories, sex, or any other so-called qualifiers not related to good sound judicial choice.
Thank you for listening to my concerns.
Thank you for your service.
Lynn E. Carroll GyGst USMC Ret.