Comments on: Spark: Gender-Coded Language & Sotomayor http://www.mindonfire.com/2009/06/08/spark-gender-coded-language-sotomayor/ Religion, SF, and Other Speculative Fictions. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:55:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: JohnW http://www.mindonfire.com/2009/06/08/spark-gender-coded-language-sotomayor/comment-page-1/#comment-23874 JohnW Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:02:02 +0000 http://www.mindonfire.com/?p=1630#comment-23874 "Brutal" scrutiny? "Deep" scrutiny maybe. But "brutal?" “Brutal” scrutiny? “Deep” scrutiny maybe. But “brutal?”

]]> By: xJane http://www.mindonfire.com/2009/06/08/spark-gender-coded-language-sotomayor/comment-page-1/#comment-23666 xJane Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:03:04 +0000 http://www.mindonfire.com/?p=1630#comment-23666 She should absolutely be submitted to "brutal scrutiny" just as any candidate for a high office should be. However, there is no need to insult her intelligence or demeanor for actions that a male justice would be praised for. She should absolutely be submitted to “brutal scrutiny” just as any candidate for a high office should be. However, there is no need to insult her intelligence or demeanor for actions that a male justice would be praised for.

]]> By: Stella http://www.mindonfire.com/2009/06/08/spark-gender-coded-language-sotomayor/comment-page-1/#comment-23660 Stella Mon, 08 Jun 2009 22:31:30 +0000 http://www.mindonfire.com/?p=1630#comment-23660 The article as a self-contained work doesn't do much of a job proving anything one way or the other. The lawyers' comments on Sotomayor may or may not be true, but I didn't see anything in them that betrayed particular notes of race or gender. I'd have to see something that offered a more comprehensive view of her career to be persuaded one way or the other. It's possible she's the victim of bigotry. But it's also possible that, unrelated to being Latina and female, she may happen to lack appropriate judicial temperament. I couldn't make the call either way from what's in that article. One pitfall that pundits will have to avoid is the ability to be criticized for making arguments that sound like "because this person is [insert minority here] any accusations of incompetency must stem from [insert form of bigotry here] rather than legitimate concerns over competency." If Judge Sotomayor is really an equal, she should be subject to brutal scrutiny just like everyone else. If she really is cut out for the job then a comprehensive picture of her career will provide automatic defense to racist or sexist accusations. The article as a self-contained work doesn’t do much of a job proving anything one way or the other. The lawyers’ comments on Sotomayor may or may not be true, but I didn’t see anything in them that betrayed particular notes of race or gender. I’d have to see something that offered a more comprehensive view of her career to be persuaded one way or the other. It’s possible she’s the victim of bigotry. But it’s also possible that, unrelated to being Latina and female, she may happen to lack appropriate judicial temperament. I couldn’t make the call either way from what’s in that article.

One pitfall that pundits will have to avoid is the ability to be criticized for making arguments that sound like “because this person is [insert minority here] any accusations of incompetency must stem from [insert form of bigotry here] rather than legitimate concerns over competency.”

If Judge Sotomayor is really an equal, she should be subject to brutal scrutiny just like everyone else. If she really is cut out for the job then a comprehensive picture of her career will provide automatic defense to racist or sexist accusations.

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