ALITO: I don't come from an affluent background or a privileged background. My parents were both quite poor when they were growing up.
And I know about their experiences and I didn't experience those things. I don't take credit for anything that they did or anything that they overcame.
But I think that children learn a lot from their parents and they learn from what the parents say. But I think they learn a lot more from what the parents do and from what they take from the stories of their parents lives.
And that's why I went into that in my opening statement. Because when a case comes before me involving, let's say, someone who is an immigrant -- and we get an awful lot of immigration cases and naturalization cases -- I can't help but think of my own ancestors, because it wasn't that long ago when they were in that position.
And so it's my job to apply the law. It's not my job to change the law or to bend the law to achieve any result.
But when I look at those cases, I have to say to myself, and I do say to myself, "You know, this could be your grandfather, this could be your grandmother. They were not citizens at one time, and they were people who came to this country."
When I have cases involving children, I can't help but think of my own children and think about my children being treated in the way that children may be treated in the case that's before me.
And that goes down the line. When I get a case about discrimination, I have to think about people in my own family who suffered discrimination because of their ethnic background or because of religion or because of gender. And I do take that into account. When I have a case involving someone who's been subjected to discrimination because of disability, I have to think of people who I've known and admire very greatly who've had disabilities, and I've watched them struggle to overcome the barriers that society puts up often just because it doesn't think of what it's doing -- the barriers that it puts up to them.
So those are some of the experiences that have shaped me as a person.
And must we not forget Clarence Thomas:
During Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) asked, "I'd like to ask you why you want this job?" Thomas replied in part: "I believe, Senator, that I can make a contribution, that I can bring something different to the Court, that I can walk in the shoes of the people who are affected by what the Court does."
http://mediamatters.org/research/200905310014
So according to the right based on what they say about Obama's nomination, doesn't that make them racists too? Yes it does. Why wasn't Rush or Newt or anyone calling Alieto and Thomas out then?
Monday, June 01, 2009
Proof
If you need anymore proof how the right is a bunch of hypocrites here is the confirmation of Samuel Lieto (not a typo) for the Supreme Court:
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5 comments:
You are partially right, here. Alito, like Sotomayor, admits that he would be influenced in his decision-making partially based on experiene instead of strict interpretation of the law. That's wrong for a supreme court justice, or any U.S. judge for that matter.
However, nothing Alito says can be construed as racism. Sotomayor specifically said that she was superior to white males and that is definitely a racist statement.
As I stated before though - just because someone makes a racist statement does not mean he or she a racist.
I it the exact same thing. Robert I realize you can't see the truth but when three people say the exact same thing and only one is called a racist when the other two are not who is exactly wrong here?
SHOW ME WHERE ALITO OR THOMAS SAID THEY WERE SUPERIOR HUMAN BEINGS BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE/GENDER.
If you can't do this, you have no argument concerning racism.
Robert you actually said SHE was a racist four times in previous posts. It's easy to look up.
And Alieto and Thomas said the exact same thing she said. You are only hearing the Republican talking points version. Sad but that's who you are.
"Robert you actually said SHE was a racist four times in previous posts."
No I didn't. Yes it is easy to look up. I never called her a racist. Never. All I did was call a statement made by her racist. Understand? The statement was racist, not the person.
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