Editorial cartoon on Judge Sotomayor has subtext of lynching, stereotypes Latinos
The Oklahoman newspaper printed on Tuesday a racist, sexist and outright offensive “editorial” cartoon.
It depicts Judge Sotomayor strung up by a rope, likening itself to lynching images or a piñata, with President Barack Obama wearing a sombrero, holding a stick and asking a crowd of elephants (Republicans) “Now, who wants to be first?”
The cartoon is captioned “Fiesta time at the confirmation hearing.” See the cartoon here on our ConfirmSotomayor.org blog.
Calif. Attorney General Says Prop. 209 Unconstitutional in Some Cases
UPDATE: Article by the San Francisco Chronicle’s Bob Egelko.
California State Attorney General Jerry Brown today filed a brief (PDF) with the state Supreme Court today opining that article 1, section 31 of the California Constitution (Prop. 209) is unconstitutional as applied in certain circumstances.
The letter brief was filed in response to the Supreme Court’s request for an opinion regarding Coral Construction v. City and County of San Francisco, a case pending before the Court concerning whether San Francisco’s attempt to remedy longstanding exclusion of minority- and women-owned businesses in its public contracting violates article I, section 31.
The letter stated: “To the extent that the prohibitions against race- and gender-based discrimination in article I, section 31 of the California Constitution (hereafter referred to as section 31) are aligned with the prohibitions enforced under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, section 31 is constitutional.
“However, to the extent that section 31 is interpreted more broadly to bar race- or gender-conscious programs that would be permissible under the Fourteenth Amendment, it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the federal Constitution, pursuant to Washington v. Seattle School Dist. No. 1 (1982) 458 U.S. 457 (Seattle) and Hunter v. Erickson (1969) 393 U.S. 385 (Hunter). To that extent, section 31 would create an unequal political structure based on race and gender that is not narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling governmental interest.”
“It is unclear precisely what governmental interest section 31 was intended to serve,” the letter also stated. “If it is the interest in protecting all Californians from discrimination based on race or gender, that is concededly a compelling governmental interest. However, there appears to be no factual basis to support a governmental interest in denying preferences that are permissible under the Fourteenth Amendment.
“Ironically, by effectively disadvantaging racial minorities and women in the political process, without an evident compelling governmental reason for doing so, section 31 seems to accomplish the very evil it purported to eliminate, viz. racial and gender discrimination.”
The Equal Justice Society and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, on behalf of a coalition of more than 60 organizations and individuals advocating against the constitutionality of Prop. 209, applaud Attorney General Jerry Brown for his position on this issue.
We will continue to argue that the state Supreme Court should take this opportunity to strike down Prop. 209, an initiative responsible for much harm to communities of color, women and to California as a whole.
Download the Attorney General’s letter
Keith Olbermann: ‘Immigration Detention Centers as Bad as Gitmo’
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann calls immigration detention centers “Gitmo Jr.-gate”, and that’s right on point. Olbermann’s comments during his “Still Bushed!” segment was prompted by a report just released by Amnesty International, “Jailed without Justice.” (Thanks to ImmigrationImpact.com for the post on this.)
Please read this, or at least glance through. You will find stories such as
- a U.S. legal resident from Albania being detained for four years;
- a young Honduran man committing suicide in detention as a result of not being provided mental health services;
- ICE agents stopping a father walking his 8-year old daughter to school, then asking the child to translate their questions regarding immigration status, resulting in the father’s detention;
- a Chinese woman fleeing political persecution being detained while the family scrambled to raise the $50,000 bond needlessly placed;
- the 16-month detention of a 63-year old Vietnamese woman who had been a political prisoner in Vietnam;
- a Sri Lankan civil war refugee detained for 4 ½ years in spite of already having been granted asylum in the U.S.;
- a Mexican woman delivering her baby while shackled to a hospital bed and not allowed contact with her husband.
The report does not advocate a platform for immigration reform, but simply asserts that our institutions ought to follow international standards of human rights and U.S. standards of due process.
This report offers specific legal and policy recommendations with regard to immigrant detention, including effective alternatives to detention.
We applaud Amnesty International and Keith Olbermann for bringing what is truly a national disgrace to light., but simply asserts that our institutions ought to follow international standards of human rights and U.S. standards of due process. This report offers specific legal and policy recommendations with regard to immigrant detention, including effective alternatives to detention. We applaud Amnesty International and Keith Olbermann for bringing what is truly a national disgrace to light.
– Miguel Gavaldon, Director of Development, EJS
Honolulu Advertiser: ‘More join ceded lands fight’
Honolulu Advertiser reporter Gordon Pang mentions EJS and JACL in his roundup of amicus briefs filed with the Supreme Court in the case involving lands held in trust for Native Hawaiians.
Because the U.S. has admitted that the 1893 overthrow was illegal, “the ceded lands hold unique cultural, spiritual and political significance for the Native Hawaiian people — they are not fungible or replaceable,” said the brief filed on behalf of the Equal Justice Society and Japanese American Citizens League.
Read the announcement of our brief here.
Eva Paterson: ABC7 Story on Ledbetter Act
Eva Paterson is included in a story by ABC7’s Mark Matthews on President Obama’s signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which will make it easier for people to get the pay they deserve — regardless of their gender, race, or age. The Act was introduced by Bay Area Congressman George Miller.
Eva Paterson on Lateefah Simon in the Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle’s Leslie Fulbright covers Lateefah Simon, the new executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, in today’s edition. Leslie quotes Eva Paterson on her meeting Lateefah for the first time:
She said the two were at a function meant to unite older leaders of the civil rights community with the new generation. “We were getting older and graying and felt like it was important to talk to younger activists and pass the baton,” said Paterson, 59. “Lateefah was in this group of young people who told us they knew what they were doing, that they didn’t need our baton. ”It was humbling, but good. I instantly liked her, and we have stayed close.”
