Empty Vessels

Imagine for a second this scenario. You are up for a new job and the following exchange takes place with you starting the conversation.  

"I am perfect for this position.”

"Well, have you done this type of work before"?

"No."

"Well, this job requires dealing with individuals with strong personalities and opinions. Are you comfortable working in such an environment"?

"Maybe."

"The decisions made in this job will shape the lives of millions of people for years to come. I will list a few of issues and ask your opinion on them."

"I’d rather not."

"Excuse me"?

"I’d rather not say." "This job requires you take a position, how do you feel about these issues"? [she runs through a quick list]

"I cannot say that I feel strongly either way."

"Are you ever going to give me a straight answer to a question"?

"I may."

If this exchange happened in a normal interview process you would probably be swiftly escorted out of the building sporting a boot print on your behind; however, this pretty much summarizes the Supreme Court selection process. It is truly a condemnation of our political system that in a job in which you will be rendering opinions daily, the #1 qualification for the job appears to be the ability not to express an opinion or have a “paper trail.”

Tomorrow the new Supreme Court Justice is supposed to be selected. I expect to be completely underwhelmed by whomever the pick may be and for them to pale in comparison to the legacy left by retiring Justice Stevens.

Concise History of Black/White Relations in the U.S.A.

As I started my usual Sunday morning routine of browsing the Internet headlines, reading the papers, and throwing things at the television during the morning talk shows (especially M.T.P. and Chris Matthews); I paused to write because this cartoon caught my eye. In light of the recent decisions handed down by the Supreme Court that favor big corporations and other privileged segments of society and remove all semblance of fairness, justice, and restitution for past grievances; this political statement was especially poignant.