Sotomayor yes or no

Today I am watching the third day of the confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She used a famous quotation by Sandra Day O’Connor and said that it couldn’t possibly be true or what she meant to say, just like a statement that she had made several times wasn’t what she meant to say. What if Judge Sandra Day O’Connor meant what she said? Here’s the quote, “I believe that a wise old woman and a wise old man would reach the same conclusion.” Judge Sotomayor said that couldn’t be true because if a wise old man and a wise old woman reached different conclusions you would be calling one unwise. Why couldn’t one have made a wise decision and one made an unwise decision. She apparently believes that there are more than just one wise judgment.

I believe that wisdom is one, as in singular. Proverbs 1:20 even puts wisdom in one body when it says, “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech” . Her reasoning really points out why I don’t believe she would make a good judge. She doesn’t believe that there is one wisdom that judges should try to reach. She believes that the supreme court has wise people who, shaped by their race, gender, and life experiences will reach different opinions, and that one “wisdom” will win. True wisdom may or may not be found, depending on the make up of the supreme court. This creates a situation where someone could come all the way to the supreme court and not receive justice.

I also have a problem with Judge Sotomayor’s schizophrenia. I do not think that she is mentally ill. I am talking about her saying several times that “a wise latina woman would reach a better conclusion than white men.” In the hearings she has said that her clear statement was misunderstood or that she said it poorly, backing away from what she said. The statements she made then and the statements she’s making now are not compatible, except in her head. I don’t think shifting positions or beliefs are a good characteristic for a judge.

Oh for people with wisdom to make our laws and interpret them. Proverbs 1 goes on to warn of the calamity that comes from not listening to wisdom. “Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, …they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” (v. 29,31). It is so important to vote for leaders that seek wisdom.

Sotomayor yes or no

Today I am watching the third day of the confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. She used a famous quotation by Sandra Day O’Connor and said that it couldn’t possibly be true or what she meant to say, just like a statement that she had made several times wasn’t what she meant to say. What if Judge Sandra Day O’Connor meant what she said? Here’s the quote, “I believe that a wise old woman and a wise old man would reach the same conclusion.” Judge Sotomayor said that couldn’t be true because if a wise old man and a wise old woman reached different conclusions you would be calling one unwise. Why couldn’t one have made a wise decision and one made an unwise decision. She apparently believes that there are more than just one wise judgment.

I believe that wisdom is one, as in singular. Proverbs 1:20 even puts wisdom in one body when it says, “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech” . Her reasoning really points out why I don’t believe she would make a good judge. She doesn’t believe that there is one wisdom that judges should try to reach. She believes that the supreme court has wise people who, shaped by their race, gender, and life experiences will reach different opinions, and that one “wisdom” will win. True wisdom may or may not be found, depending on the make up of the supreme court. This creates a situation where someone could come all the way to the supreme court and not receive justice.

I also have a problem with Judge Sotomayor’s schizophrenia. I do not think that she is mentally ill. I am talking about her saying several times that “a wise Latina woman would reach a better conclusion than white men.” In the hearings she has said that her clear statement was misunderstood or that she said it poorly, backing away from what she said. The statements she made then and the statements she’s making now are not compatible, except in her head. I don’t think shifting positions or beliefs are a good characteristic for a judge.

Oh for people with wisdom to make our laws and interpret them. Proverbs 1 goes on to warn of the calamity that comes from not listening to wisdom. “Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, …they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” (v. 29,31). It is so important to vote for leaders that seek wisdom.