President Nominates Sonia Sotomayor for Supremes--her investements?

[FUEGO]

In the words of another great King, "Can we all get along?"

 

[FUEGO]

It seems to me that most of the advice would be common to anyone in a lower economic position, regardless of ethnicity. Work hard, get an education or develop a marketable skill, save your money, observe the world around you and learn from your mistakes. Within that general message, there might be some advice specific to the customs and traditions of that group to help them better navigate the business world, that's fine. But to identify yourself first and foremost with your ethnicity just doesn't seem to help in any way that I can see. It has little to do with finances, and it should have little to do with your ability or inability to serve on the bench.

Assuming they are qualified minorities (or females), I would not neglect to mention how to take advantage of government quotas, ooops, er I mean set asides, ooops, er I mean "aspirational target goals for minority/women participation". That seems to be a fairly easy ticket to at least moderate success from what I have observed. Especially in fields where minorities and females are traditionally underrepresented. It is not a free lunch, but it is like buy one get two free.

There's some serious financially related advice.

 

[ChrisC]

Yup.... pretty much the response I expected. Not going to engage in the personal attack (just too tired this morning).... but at least I will try to set a small part of the record straight.

E Pluribus Unum means.... "Out of many.... one". Which IS the exact point I was trying to make actually. That whatever our race, religion, etc, the idea was... and still is... we should be one people. Hence my "-" hyphen comment.

The record is plainly set straight, already! There just appears to be a failure to understand a view that is diverse from yours. We get to the "One" but taking into account the many "hypens"! We simply don't get to "One" by negating the "many" hyphens.

I'm an American (and a very proud one too), but I'm also a hyphenated-American -- I don't know of many people who have this flipped the nomenclature. You seem to think many have -- I don't know anyone who has. We dwell on the "hypen" because, quite frankly, it is implied by almost all of us, that we're, well, Americans when we're in the States here. But you take any hyphenated-American, put him abroad, in a foreign country, and the "hypen" drops, immediately.

 

[armor99]

Well, I'm not a huge fan of hyphenated-Americanism, at least when people consider themselves X first and American second.

Having said that, it would be awfully boring if we didn't all bring our own customs, our own cuisines, our own art and music, our own traditions into the American mosaic. So while I appreciate the "spice" that diversity provides, unless it comes with the understanding that we are ultimately one nation united first and foremost, it certainly comes with the capacity for divisiveness and self-segregation and mutual mistrust.

Well said Ziggy... and I completely agree....

 

[armor99]

Assuming they are qualified minorities (or females), I would not neglect to mention how to take advantage of government quotas, ooops, er I mean set asides, ooops, er I mean "aspirational target goals for minority/women participation". That seems to be a fairly easy ticket to at least moderate success from what I have observed. Especially in fields where minorities and females are traditionally underrepresented. It is not a free lunch, but it is like buy one get two free.

There's some serious financially related advice.

Interesting point of view.... But what exactly does that say about you as a person (not you personally... but the hypothetical person doing this), if you knowingly took a position, a govt program, or a freebie of one form or another, that you know you received only because of the color of your skin, religion, gender, etc? We are assuming here you are of able mind and body, and have suffered no external hardship.

I cannot speak for others... but I have quite a bit of pride (which I have never considered a bad thing), and for me, my taking of that benefit, implys that I could not get it legitimately, and needed this boost from someone else. The taking of such a benefit somehow imply's that I really AM inferior in some way or another to others, and needed this. For me, that would be unacceptable! For others... might not have a problem with it at all. I suppose it depends on your outlook on life.

Interestingly enough... I have friends of many races, religions, and genders. We all actually had a conversation about this recently. Each and every one of them to the man/woman, said they would be VERY offended in this situation. Each of them feels the need to prove themselves legitimately and do not want a handout from anyone. Probably why they are all good friends of mine.

 

[bright eyed]

Yes armor, and i hope that all the folks who get positions because they are of certain other races and gender feel equally hostile to the unfairness of their privileged position...

Sotomayor obviously is a well qualified candidate for this position. The fact that she is a woman and puerto rican is important becuase shock, horror, she's the first. She beat out other well qualified (holy grapes, only female candidates call the aclu!) candidates for the nomination...

 

[FUEGO]

Interesting point of view.... But what exactly does that say about you as a person (not you personally... but the hypothetical person doing this), if you knowingly took a position, a govt program, or a freebie of one form or another, that you know you received only because of the color of your skin, religion, gender, etc? We are assuming here you are of able mind and body, and have suffered no external hardship.

I cannot speak for others... but I have quite a bit of pride (which I have never considered a bad thing), and for me, my taking of that benefit, implys that I could not get it legitimately, and needed this boost from someone else. The taking of such a benefit somehow imply's that I really AM inferior in some way or another to others, and needed this. For me, that would be unacceptable! For others... might not have a problem with it at all. I suppose it depends on your outlook on life.

Well, someone has to fill the quotas and set asides. Might as well be you if you meet one of the criteria required for that particular quota.

It's an interesting predicament to be in for sure: the ability to build a moderate sized business and fairly easily get government contracts without really standing out on your own merits in your profession.

However once you build the business it is hard to sell it since your status as a minority/female is what brings in a big chunk of the business. And you may suffer from the stigma of people assuming you only get work due to your status as minority/female (whether it is true or not).

 

[samclem]

And you may suffer from the stigma of people assuming you only get work due to your status as minority/female (whether it is true or not).

This is the worst part about quotas/set asides/Affirmative Action--that top-notch minority candidates who are accepted into the programs are forever (wrongfully) living with the fact that their colleagues and associates have reason to believe that maybe they only got where they are because of these preference programs. They would have been admitted on merit alone, but nobody will know that. They should resent the whole Affirmative Action process, and many do.

 

[ChrisC]

This is the worst part about quotas/set asides/Affirmative Action--that top-notch minority candidates who are accepted into the programs are forever (wrongfully) living with the fact that their colleagues and associates have reason to believe that maybe they only got where they are because of these preference programs. They would have been admitted on merit alone, but nobody will know that. They should resent the whole Affirmative Action process, and many do.

Like MLK would resent it too:Tolerance.org: Misreading the Dream

 

[Gumby]

After swirling the drain a few times, this thread has finally slipped down the pipe. Time to close it.