Diversity is Better
Setting aside the political and social conventions of the day, one could argue that having a Latino woman or an African American man as a representative at the constitutional convention would have produced a “better” result that included all Americans in the democratic system instead of institutionalizing the exclusion of some. One could argue that having an African American on the Supreme Court in 1857 would have brought about a “better” decision in the Dredd Scott case which not only denied Mr. Scott his freedom but also his dignity as a man. One could also argue that Plessey vs Ferguson in 1896 would have produced a “better” decision than “Separate but equal” had an African American or Latino or Asian been a member of the court. While it is true that in 1954 a court composed solely of white men reversed this decision, its legacy was over 50 years of institutionalized and legal racism in this country and decades of separation and inequality. When the fight over Sonia Sotomayor’s remarks gets played out in the media and in Congress, try and remember that it should not be about the one decision of one person being “better” than another. It should be about the diversity that is America being represented in the institutions of power. This gives our multi-faceted country the best chance of upholding the idealism of the Founding Fathers in an ever changing world.
For more on this subject check out my full article Supreme Court: Diversity is Better.
