Yes, A 'Wise Latina' Is Just What The Doctor Ordered

I'm sitting here in my arm chair(a rather comfy one, mind you) watching Sotomayor hold her own against the Senate, simply marveled by her performance. I can not see how anyone who has half a working brain - and there are a lot of people out there who don't - wouldn't want her to serve as a judge. This woman is able to talk with such skill and flow that I can't but be charmed by her.

Yet, we have that damn 'wise Latina' comment keep popping up. Why is there this line between white political candidates promising to help people of non-white origins out and non-white political candidates promising to help others like themselves out at all? Is all this fear that they would help the affirmative action agenda go too far in this country?

I do believe that her being a Latina will bring something a little extra to the Supreme Court. One's life experiences can not help but be present and influential when doing anything in life, much less applying law.

It is evident that the end result of her education, experience in law, and what she has seen in life in general has indeed made her wise. Just watch the women as shes on the plank. Look at what we get when figures who have opportunities at positions of power are unwise to say the least. We get Palin, Steele, and a slew of others that make me have no hope for where this country is going.

I want these people wise. I want these people to come together from different backgrounds in order to make decisions. Quite frankly it scares me when one group - especially one who's every ideals are rapidly losing ground yet ferociously (and foolishly) defend them - wants to keep the idea pool collectively monotone.

But of course, only time will tell whether she will be appointed or not. Good luck, Sotomayor - I look forward to hearing the good news in the future.

The 11th Hour

Ever thought that the grass would be greener on the other side on the fence, but then on your way over, you start to realize you're not as interested as you once were?

Perhaps that's how I'm currently feeling about going off to college. In this 11th hour - as the days keep rushing to August 27th - I find myself not all that excited as I originally was.

Take for example, the fact that I'm done with high school. I thought I would bask in the glee of graduation but instead, I feel no different. There is no sense of 'OMG! I can't wait to get out of here' as I've seen in my friends.

There are two things about college that I'm looking forward to: The topics I'll explore and graduation. I get to fuel my readings and reflections on race and it's ramification and if I'm able to stay within the honor's program, I will graduate cum laude. At least. This will hopefully put me in a great position to reach the goals I have for after graduation, but more on those later.

I think, that after a week or two at Susquehanna, I'll get more excited. For now, it shall remain some far off distant reality.

Palin 2.0

It just keeps coming back. Oh god, we can't kill it! WE'RE GONNA DIE!

Seriously, didn't we get enough of her the first time 'round?

I guess not since it appears shes positioning herself for something (2012 anyone?). Now seeing how much political hell has broken loose, I'm a bit paranoid. My friends say we have nothing to worry about - that she made enough of a fool of herself so shes a goner. But, with the Republicans and their cohorts looking for some kinda of face to tie to their brand of bull, she might just be want they need. She might be the one to organize their rhetoric and drive them back to the White House in 2012.

Just thinking about that possibility makes ill. I've been hoping for someone within the party to get their people back in shape, but that is looking more and more like a pipe dream. Should by the grace of the devil himself allow her to even be a contender for 2012, I'm not so sure I want to be around to see the result.

Now where's my passport?

A Pro-Choice Stance

Abortion has gotten quite a bit of press in past months, thanks to a late-term abortion doctor being gunned down by a pro-life fanatic (ironic, no?). As much as I normally would like to avoid taking stances on certain topics, I do think its about time to me sort out my own feelings on the issue.

To put it clearly: I am pro-choice.

Does that make me morally incorrect? Perhaps more likely to being shot as well? Or is it that I'm relatively safe until I start being one to actually perform an abortion.

My train of thought is simple: As a male, one who gets rather sickly when he contemplates anything childbirth related for too long of a time period, how dare I turn on the American female population and demonize their right to do what they feel is right for themselves. No one should be able to control others' desire to control their life as they see fit.

Should someone one day come to me and regulate who I choose to have a child with, when I want to have that child and so on, I would have to tell them where to get off. I know full well that if I don't want to have my reproductive freedom taken away, I can't do the same to anyone else - a nice application of the "Do on to others what you would have them do on to you" rule.

Even the argument of late-term abortion I find to be a silly extreme that must be laughed out of validity. Who do you know would seriously carry a child - would allow another being to share in her existence - only to then decide months before birth to back out of her commitment. Late-term abortions are usually none when there is very little hope for the well being of those involved. People are, for the most part, creatures of morality. Those who are willing to do a fairly brutal process without due cause are a rarity. No argument should be contingent on such a unlikely prospect.

Finally, I close with this: While I do believe that life is something worth protecting, I am much more focused on the lives of those who are already here. They are more tangible, and in much more serious need of help. If you only set out to insure those on their way to this world safe passage, but let the mothers - their entrances become slaves to your beliefs and ideals, whats the point of protecting the newcomers? In due enough time, they will likely follow the mothers' fate.

Where have I been?

Indeed, where have I been?

The short answer: I've been around, just living life.

Since we last spoke, I became a high-school graduate, traveled down to DC for NECC, and attended orientation at Susquehanna.

Now where have you -the world- been since we last spoke? Micheal Jackson and a slew of others past away, all hell broke loose in Iran, and Palin stepped down from her post.

Amazing how times flies, no?

Everything and everyone changes. As I try to keep up - to take note of as much as possible, I see more and more that I need to use this place for what it was meant to be: a nice little corner of the web for my thoughts. Its about time I stop neglecting it so much.

So, more blogging is on its way. Let us rejoice in the stream of words!