Letters: Can Judge Sotomayor really be a racist?

PRESIDENT Obama's nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court has been met with right-wing Republican reverse psychological games by those doltishly calling her a racist.

But this pejorative phenomenon has to be manifested by the dominant ruling class in any given society (white in this case).

Judge Sotomayor is a member of a Puerto Rican minority that has no power to inflict suffering on any other group. Minorities can be prejudiced, hateful and biased, but, by definition, they don't have the power to be racist. A more appropriate criticism of her is that she is prejudiced, but accusing her of being racist is just a weak head game by the real racists.

Hannibal Casanova, Philadelphia

The argument rages over whether Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is a "racist." The question was raised partly because the judge bypassed the white firefighters, ruling for the nonwhite applicants.

The judge's defenders say she's no racist. But whether racist or not, what people can see with their own eyes, properly labeled or not, will cost President Obama votes in the next election.

Jerry Boris, Philadelphia

The Flying Obamas

First, Team Obama flies Air Force One to NYC, causing panic, and wasting fuel. Now the lovebirds fly there for a romantic night.

Seems like a huge waste of money for transportation and security for a date night. There are people who can't afford to go to see the Phillies, or go to the Shore, but this guy's going to New York on taxpayers' money?

(And next time they have a date night, maybe they could bring a few doggie bags home so Barack and Joe don't have to go out for burgers.)

Chris DeLuca, Philadelphia

Anti-violence crusade

Thank you for giving prominence to the articles concerning the acquittal of the 12 brave souls who stood their ground to bring attention to the escalating gun violence in our city.

I'm the pastor of St. Rita Catholic Church and a strong supporter of the "Heeding God's Call" movement. I reminded my people in our Sunday bulletin that our patron, St. Rita, was an advocate of stemming the violence in her society (the 1400s) when people were murdering each other with swords and daggers in the heat of vendetta.

I hope that all of us level-headed people, inspired by the verdict of a courageous commonsense judge, will send a message to our legislators that stricter measures are necessary now because handguns are too easily accessible for those who kill indiscriminately.

Thank you for helping us take a big step forward in achieving this.

Fr. Joseph A. Genito

Saint Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia

SEPTA $ for workers?

SEPTA will receive close to $200 million in stimulus payments that will be used primarily for capital improvements. But why can't SEPTA use part of this revenue to fund a new contract with the Transit Workers Union?

These men and women have been working at a difficult job without a contract since March. SEPTA doesn't seem to be making any effort to conclude negotiations in good faith. The workers deserve the security a new three- or four-year contract would bring.

Jeanne Aldworth, Philadelphia