Ted Cruz’s performance was an embarrassment
Re “Confirmation hearings begin for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, first Black woman nominated for Supreme Court” (March 21): I would like to nominate Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas for an Academy Award Oscar for his uncanny ability to capture both the words and performance style of the late Sen. Joe McCarthy during his questioning of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday.
Gilbert E. Field
Carmel Valley
Marsha Blackburn’s badgering of nominee was unprofessional
Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn demonstrated a shocking degree of naïveté when badgering Judge Jackson with the question, “Can you provide a definition for the word ‘woman’?” Later tweeting, “this is a simple question,” she labeled Judge Jackson’s response “a major red flag.”
However, her question was not only pathetically inappropriate and irrelevant, but simply posing this inane request exposed the degree of her own utter, brazen ignorance. That was the “major red flag” in the exchange!
Back in the olden days we held ideas of sex and gender to be simply black-and-white: one was either a man (male) or a woman (female). In reality the matter of gender has always been far more complex, involving such factors as genitalia, chromosomes, gonads, hormones, as well as matters of self-concept and social identity.
There is no simple, single definition to either “man” or “woman.”
Emery J. Cummins
Pacific Beach
Bigotry was on display in Senate questioning
When a Black woman is chosen for a prestigious position gender and racism immediately becomes a factor. When a White male is chosen for a prestigious position no one talks about gender or race.
No one questions a White male’s ability to be impartial. Choosing or promoting White males is considered normal business as usual.
Questioning a Black woman’s ability to be impartial is appropriate. The failure to question a White male’s ability to be impartial indicates bigotry
Bigotry and racism is obvious, subtle, insidious, pervasive and ubiquitous.
The clues are everywhere.
Charlie Ballbach
Santee
Both parties should be ashamed of creating political circus
Re “Jackson Fends off GOP criticism” (March 23): Senate hearings for Supreme Court nominations have become a political circus. Both parties are more interested in scoring political points than serious questioning of the candidates. They spend half their time telling the cameras how important they are, how they respect the candidate and then commence to attack them in a rude manner, interrupting the candidate’s attempt to answer their questions, and delving into areas such as their religious beliefs.
Both parties are guilty as witnessed how the Democrats launched personal attacks on the last two nominees. Liberal politicians seemed to think only liberal candidates should be nominated while conservative politicians think only conservatives should be chosen. Instead, the candidates should be judged on their judicial record, knowledge of the constitution, court room demeanor and experience. Jackson has been a public defender, served in private practice and was a practicing trial judge. Our citizens deserves better from elected officials.
James Biers
Encinitas
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