UNIT D: BLOG 28

BLOG 28: Sonia's Competency

Jeffrey Rosen a reporter for the New Republic typed up opinions on Sonia Sotomayor, a nominee for the new Supreme Court. Rosen typed up information about Sonia and came to a conclusion about her even though her admitted that he did not have all of the information that he needed in order to write this report. He states that he did not talk to nearly enough people for and against Sonia to come to a clear opinion, but he posted his half researched and very bias opinion anyways.

People are saying that Sonia is " too tempermential, vain and stupid to be on the Supreme Court." He even went as far as fixing the quoting that he did get to make them sound like these people were against her when in all actuality they were saying nothing but great things about her. In his article he quoted people saying that she was " not that smart" and a "bully on the bench." To me judges need to be strict and "kind of a bully". Judges need to be fair, but also they have to be strong and strict to get everyone to follow their judgements. In this case I think that they are talking her gender role and saying bad things about her because she is not acting in her role. She has taken a non traditional job and is acting in a male dominated role so they are not use to women acting as such. I think her actions are strong willed and power. The gender roles is changing, but they just can not see how competency is the same as if she were a man or a women.

The reason they are judging her so harshly is because she is a female in a Male dominated occupation and is breaking the norms. This reasoning is reinforced by Hutchinson in the reading as he talks about double standards. He states that the only reason that they think she has such a bad temper is because of the double standards that we are dealing with in the patriarchal cultural society. Women are not quiet, not weak, and not a push over like they think we are suppose to be. If a man acts as she does he would be powerful, dominate, a good leader, and strong. If a women is strong, aggressive, and powerful as Sonia is they are seen as having a temper, but they reading gives us a much more derogatory and demeaning word for this. Just because she is a women they are treating her actions differently and bad even though a male in her shoes would be regarded as a powerful, strict, and a strong judge. She is being held to a double standard.