Research Writing and College Life

Sonia Sotomayor's Wise Latina Comment Stirs Controversy

Now I run the risk of alienating the men who read this but really, it just has to be pointed out – What is the problem with Sonia Sotomayor?

The world is in an uproar about her comment in a 2001 speech “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” Seems a no-brainer to me. A wise Latina woman is certainly going to be a far better asset to this nation than any white man or white woman, given the changing dynamics of the nations population and the need for understanding of the urgency in minority problems such as adequate health care and equality in education. Give me a wise anyone who has seen first hand the struggles of a minority that is rapidly becoming the majority and I’ll vote them in! The status quo was the Bush administration; please embrace the brilliance of change and vote in “wise”, “different”, “open mouthed” and, not to overuse this word but heck, it sums up the new era, “hope”.

And then there is the woman thing…Yes, the Supreme Court needs a bit more balance in that arena also.The “wise Latina” comment has induced some to say that Sotomayor will be biased, either for her gender or towards Latinos, because she singled them out in a speech and put a “wise Latina” on a pedestal.  Hmm…again, show me the fault in this. The problem with criticizing her for this statement rests in prefacing her reference to a Latino woman as “wise”. You just can’t criticize someone with her intelligence and track record in life experience for singling out someone as wise. We should all be listening and taking note of who is “wise” rather than worried about bias. I’m biased towards “wise” people too and I loath ignorance.

Please! Please! Put another judge on the bench that had to struggle for what they achieved. Struggling to achieve generally brings an awareness of the value of what one has. Give me a Justice that earned their seat and I’ll give you a Judge that thinks twice about abusing it. Read more…

Karen In the News

A while ago, we did a series of articles on the 5 most marketable degrees, according to an article in Encarta. We figured this would be helpful, especially  in difficult economic times. However, in retrospect, it seems that even in the worst job market in 25 years, we were misguided. According to career specialists across the nation, marketability is not the key for success. What is? Doing what you love. Read more…

Karen Marketable Degrees

Sunday, in the Miami Herald, an article ran concerning wind power and environmental problems. It naturally caught my eye and my first reaction was one of disbelief, then disappointment. Apparently, as reported by the Miami Herald, the infrasonic waves that are caused by the motion of the windmill causes a varied amount health concerns for those who live near wind power fields. Symptoms include headaches, insomnia and stiffness of shoulders, to name a few. It is ironic that as we try to clean up the world we messed up, we still can’t get away from harming ourselves. Read more…

Karen In the News

Remember the “Education President”? I bet you don’t. Well that was George W. Bush Jr.’s slogan and what a preposterous notion! However, thankfully, a new sherriff is in town and one that actually may be worthy of the title of Education President. According to an article in Inside Higher Eduction, President Obama is pushing the idea of a “National Skills College“, a program designed to provide access to educational courses free for community college students and high school students. $500 million a year is expected to be allotted to the program for the first 5 years in order to assist states, colleges and schools in becoming technology friendly with online books and classes. Read more…

Karen In the News