Yesterday, the Supreme Court Of The Unites States handed down a decision for the 20 New Haven, CT firefighters who had sued based on discrimination. The result: a 5-4 decision that the city had violated the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
This is a victory for the individual in this country. This is a victory for those who feel race should not be the issue, but the qualifications to do the job should. Discrimination has no place in this country, whether it be race, gender, or other. What does and should matter when considering hiring or promotion should be ability, and track record. The SCOTUS go it right here, and not too soon.
In a dissent read from the bench, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg questioned the fairness of the test, which was 60 percent written and 40 percent oral.
“Relying so heavily on pencil-and-paper exams to select firefighters is a dubious practice,” Ginsburg said, calling the majority ruling “troubling.”
Frankly, I found Ginsburg’s response puzzling. At first blush, it confounds me that she questioned the fairness of a test that was 60 percent written. As a matter of fact, considering one of the ones who passed the written portion has dyslexia, and thus is at a huge disadvantage, it brings me to think her response was “dubious”. But, in fairness, I only read the excerpts, and have not read the complete dissent.
So again. Good for all of us who have been discriminated against because of the color of our skin. The SCOTUS again, focuses municipalities and employers to focus on qualification, not appearance.
Filed under: Politics Tagged: | Centrist, Conservative, Democrat, Discriminate, Discrimination, Firefighters, Ginsburg, Indepependent, Kennedy, liberal, moderate, New Haven, Politics, republican, Sotomayor, Supreme Court, united states
[...] in this, wouldn’t the case of the New Haven Firefighters, be a case of discrimination, not reverse discrimination? So can we call it what it was? [...]
I read your blog yesterday, then decided to check it out again. In Ginsberg’s remarks she stated that they chose “firefighters” with a pen-an-pencil exam. Not true. Firefighters have to go through strenuous physical training, as well as text book instruction prior to being accepted into a Fire Dept. At least, that’s how it is in NYC. They must pass both physical and written tests. The exam these Firefighters took was a promotional exam. Justice Ginsberg either needs to review her comments before she publishes them, or learn more about the topic she is deciding upon before passing judgment.
I was thrilled when I heard the decision. Then the cynic in me quickly took over, as the left will just use this as “more proof” that we need more Liberals on the Court.
This is great for us, as citizens, in that it might enlighten some as to the harmful ramifications of affirmative action – frankly, I don’t care the color, race, age, religion or sexual orientation of the firefighter that shows up when the alarm goes off, just that they have been proven competent to do the job. What would be wrong not to mention dangerous is that the job was given to someone less qualified because of the above stated distinctions. But unfortunately, this ruling, no matter how correct and just, provides more ammunition for those that would have people’s opportunities determined by how far away from Christian, straight, white male they can get.
At least the citizens of New Haven can sleep peacefully now, knowing that their safety officers are the cream of the crop. Lord only knows where else this has occurred where no one had the fortitude to sue and take it this far.