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Toward a Genuinely Color-Blind Society?
Accuracy in Media ^ | May 28, 2009 | Allan C. Brownfeld

Posted on 05/31/2009 6:23:22 PM PDT by neverdem

The case of Ricci v. DeStefano could provide an opportunity to move our country in the direction of the genuinely color-blind society - a goal long sought by men and women of good will.

President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, sits on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, where she heard the arguments for Ricci v. DeStefano, now pending before the High Court.

The case has been brought by white firefighters in New Haven who were denied promotions after an examination yielded no black firefighters eligible for advancement. The city decided to throw out the test, calling its action "racially neutral."

In Ricci v. DeStefano, 19 white firefighters and one Hispanic say they should have been promoted based on their successful scores. The city argued that certifying the tests would have left it vulnerable to lawsuits for violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act if the white firemen were promoted.

Judge Sontomayor voted to uphold the rejection of the white firemen.

"Racial classifications are inherently pernicious and, if not checked, lead as they did in New Haven to regrettable and socially destructive racial politics," said Gregory S. Coleman, who represents the group of 20 firefighters. "Neither equal protection nor Title VII justified New Haven's race-based scuttling of the promotions petitioners earned through the civil service process mandated by Connecticut law."

Frank Ricci was one of more than 130 firefighters who took written and oral tests in 2003 to fill a few promotion slots. An oral component accounted for 40 percent of the score, while the written component, designed at a tenth-grade reading level, accounted for 60 percent of the test.

Ricci's personal story cannot be separated from the case. He prepared for the 2003 exams by quitting his second job; buying more than $l,000 worth of books the city recommended; paying to have them...

(Excerpt) Read more at aim.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: frankricci; ricci; riccivdestefano; soniasotomayor; sotomayor
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To: hoosiermama
Does this sound like she is tryle color blind? It's part of the transcript from the soon to be decided Ricci trial.
JUDGE SOTOMAYOR: Counsel … we’re not suggesting that unqualified people be hired. The city’s not suggesting that. All right? But there is a difference between where you score on the test and how many openings you have. And to the extent that there’s an adverse impact on one group over the other, so that the first seven who are going to be hired only because of the vagrancies [sic] of the vacancies at that moment, not because you’re unqualified–the pass rate is the pass rate–all right? But if your test is always going to put a certain group at the bottom of the pass rate so they’re never ever going to be promoted, and there is a fair test that could be devised that measures knowledge in a more substantive way, then why shouldn’t the city have an opportunity to try and look and see if it can develop that?

KAREN LEE TORRE: Because they already developed it, your honor.

JUDGE SOTOMAYOR: It assumes the answer. It assumes the answer which is that, um, the test is valid because we say it’s valid.

KAREN LEE TORRE: The testing consultant said it was valid. He told them it was valid…. They had evidence that the test was job-related and valid for use under Title VII.

Disturbing!

21 posted on 05/31/2009 7:23:51 PM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: SWAMPSNIPER
Color isn’t the issue, culture is.

Thank you for saying that. Probably the most important words posted here all day.

22 posted on 05/31/2009 7:24:24 PM PDT by The Duke (I have met the enemy, and he is named 'Apathy'!)
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To: Deagle
“Actually you’re right on... Color blindness may be a thing of the past - not sure is was anyway (whites always got the short end of the stick). I do hope that because he is President that they will calm their effort for monority advancement. Not hopeful though... It will probably be worse!”

They have opened peoples eyes and set themselves back 50 years.

23 posted on 05/31/2009 7:28:50 PM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: Cheetahcat

There’s more here:

http://www.floppingaces.net/2009/05/31/sotomayors-views-of-racial-discrimination-case-become-clearer/


24 posted on 05/31/2009 7:40:15 PM PDT by hoosiermama (Hey hey! Ho ho! Where's your Birth Certificate/ We've a right to know!)
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To: neverdem

racism is like a healing wound. the more they pick at it, the worse it gets.


25 posted on 05/31/2009 8:28:28 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand
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To: ClearCase_guy
dont forget too, that if the exit polling was anywhere near accurate, that 90 plus % black vote went to the commie...

I guess we know who the racists are afterall...

26 posted on 05/31/2009 8:49:04 PM PDT by Gilbo_3 ("JesusChrist 08"...Trust in the Lord......=...LiveFReeOr Die...)
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To: neverdem

Libs poking their self righteous stick at people’s eyes would make THEIR version of a color blind society. I say this after hearing the same tired black jokes since Obama has been elected. Obamber is a divider not a uniter.


27 posted on 05/31/2009 9:44:10 PM PDT by cyborg (Apple iPhone Addict)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Obama isn’t a negro — he’s mixed-race: half-white, half-Kenyan


28 posted on 06/01/2009 12:25:19 AM PDT by Cronos (Ceterum censeo, Mecca et Medina delendae sunt)
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To: Cheetahcat

As long as people like Sonia Sotomayor exist, we will never have a color-blind society. I am tired of these Left-Wing ethnic minorities who claim that their ethnicity makes them better than “white males”. It is another redundant piece of BS. I am Jewish and I don’t go on and on about my life experiences compared to an average Christian white man’s experiences.

As to the transcript: I am also tired of those Liberal “egalitarians” who use words like fair and unfair as political deciding terms and dividing lines. Obama also used the terms to justify his fiscally foolish policies. If Sonia didn’t like the bottom line of the test and believed that those won’t pass will never pass under that test, I’ve got two deals for her.

1. Just pass on the nomination and tell Obama to select a black woman to take your place.

2. Declare the act of even nominating somebody to be put up to vote as being “unconstitutional” and just get in by fiat and because you are a minority. A Left-Wing ethnic minority.


29 posted on 06/01/2009 12:43:19 AM PDT by Merta (But I May Be Wrong)
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To: hoosiermama
“There’s more here:

http://www.floppingaces.net/2009/05/31/sotomayors-views-of-racial-discrimination-case-become-clearer/";

Nice Link and the track backs have some nice comments LMAO

30 posted on 06/01/2009 7:18:56 AM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: Merta
“As long as people like Sonia Sotomayor exist, we will never have a color-blind society. I am tired of these Left-Wing ethnic minorities who claim that their ethnicity makes them better than “white males”. It is another redundant piece of BS. I am Jewish and I don’t go on and on about my life experiences compared to an average Christian white man’s experiences.

As to the transcript: I am also tired of those Liberal “egalitarians” who use words like fair and unfair as political deciding terms and dividing lines. Obama also used the terms to justify his fiscally foolish policies. If Sonia didn’t like the bottom line of the test and believed that those won’t pass will never pass under that test, I’ve got two deals for her.

1. Just pass on the nomination and tell Obama to select a black woman to take your place.

2. Declare the act of even nominating somebody to be put up to vote as being “unconstitutional” and just get in by fiat and because you are a minority. A Left-Wing ethnic minority.”

Everything about this woman is troublesome she has some slanted and eyes wide open view of lady justice,I can only assume she has a severe inferiority complex on top of being a racist.

31 posted on 06/01/2009 7:25:43 AM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: neverdem

My BIL, a partner in a very prominent accounting firm, informs me that there is no corporate pathway for promotion if you’re white. Is that this colorblind thing we’re talking about here? Perhaps the want of “richness of their experiences” as whites hinders them in some way now; although, they did manage to bring the company to its current position. Something’s in arrears, I’d say...


32 posted on 06/01/2009 7:40:43 AM PDT by Dysart (Democracy is a theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard)
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