Diversity, Decisions, and Degrees

by Dora Raymaker · 2009-06-09 16:00:00 UTC
Topics:

a herd of white sheep from above, in the center is one black sheepMichael Hiltzick's excellent article was really loaded--couldn't quite cover it in 500 words or less! Back to the ideas specifically of diversity and its connection to empathy and interpretation of the law,

[Sotomayor] acknowledged that people of "different experiences or backgrounds" are often quite capable of "understanding the values and needs of people from a different group." But she endorsed the view that "in any group of human beings there is a diversity of opinion because there is both a diversity of experiences and of thought."

Different perspectives, like those people on the spectrum have, are a key piece of diversity, which is needed for not just empathy but also for innovation.

Regarding the perspective of Sotomayor (who has the disability community all a-buzz), her ethnic and disability status aside, she is mainstream all the way when it comes to her degree. Whatever ethnic or cultural distinctiveness she may bring to the Supreme Court if selected, when it comes to educational background, she's got the same cultural bias as all the others.

If selected, will Sotomayor bring a new perspective, empathy, and innovation to the Supreme Court by way of her diversity?

Dora Raymaker
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