
Why the Supreme Court Needs a “Critical Mass” of Women
By Anonymous • July 13, 2009•Other Issues
Vanity Fair conributing editor Dee Dee Myers thinks the Supreme Court needs more than just another woman: what it needs is a critical mass.
Critical mass isn’t a static number, nor is it an argument that there should be an equal number of men and women in every room. It’s not just another word for “quota.” Instead, it refers to the point at which there are enough women that the culture begins to change, that different points of view and different life experiences are equally valued, where everyone’s voice can be heard.
A critical mass, Myers explains, will help overcome the phenomenon that occurs when a woman, sitting in a meeting comprised mostly of men, makes a point that goes largely ignored. A few minutes later, a man says essentially the same thing and everyone agrees that it's a "great idea, a brilliant idea, the right course of action."
Even Justice Ginsburg has experienced it: “I will say something—and I don’t think I’m a confused speaker—and it isn’t until somebody else says it that everyone will focus on the point.”
Read Myers' article here.
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jessie July 28, 2009
the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Sotomayor’s nomination today, moving her nomination to the full Senate for a vote (presumably some time next week).
Update: it’s done. 13 senators (12 dems, plus Lindsay Graham) send Sotomayor to a full vote.