anglingfortruth

Judge Sotomayor and the American Dream

President Obama referred to Judge Sotomayor's journey from an East Bronx housing project to the federal appellate bench as "extraordinary." However, when one closely examines Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's life it is revealed that she was blessed with America's greatest inequality: wonderful parents. While it is true her beginnings were materially humble, her success is not all that surprising when the sacrifices of her parents are taken into account. By having loving and strict parents who valued education, Judge Sotomayor was given advantages that millions of Americans of her generation never had.

Indeed, Ms. Sotomayor's father passed away from a heart attack when she was nine; however, he was married to Judge Sotomayor's mother when he died. Having parents who loved each other gave Judge Sotomayor an unfair edge over the other children in her neighborhood who were raised in broken homes. Although Judge Sotomayor's mother was a single mom, she was a model parent. Despite often working two jobs, she set the example for young Sonia to value education by taking night courses to advance her nursing degree. The elder Sotomayor lived frugally, choosing to raise her children in a small apartment in order to save money to send her kids to religious schools. Mother Sotomayor was strict. She always knew the whereabouts of her children, and they weren't allowed out of the house while she was at work. While other mothers were bringing home fashion magazines and gossip columns for reading material, Judge Sotomayor's mother was spending what little she had to purchase her children the only set of Encylopaedia Brittanica in their neighborhood. This made Judge Sotomayor (and her accomplished medical doctor brother, Juan) more competitive than other American children (of all races and sexes) whose parents chose not to have substantive reading materials available at home.

While the media and the current administration continue to spin Judge Sotomayor's story as being remarkable, conservative America understands the real reason she has achieved the American dream. By having decent parents, she was provided advantages her peers never had. Sonia Sotomayor's story demonstrates that the real culprit for inequality in 21st century America is not discrimination or lack of material abundance; its parents like Mr. and Mrs. Sotomayor who insist their children don't waste America's abundant opportunity.