By Hector Luis Alamo, Jr. on March 1, 2013

The Sotomayor Smackdown

On Monday, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor criticized a Texas prosecutor for perpetuating racial stereotypes.

While interrogating a black defendant in court, the prosecutor asked, “You’ve got African-Americans, you’ve got Hispanics, you’ve got a bag full of money. Does that tell you – a light bulb doesn’t go off in your head and say, this is a drug deal?”

From Reuters via HuffPo:

“The first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, Sotomayor wrote that the prosecutor had ‘tapped a deep and sorry vein of racial prejudice that has run through the history of criminal justice in our nation.’

The question was ‘pernicious in its attempt to substitute racial stereotype for evidence,’ she added. Sotomayor also accused the Obama administration of playing down the issue.”

For anyone out there still doubting, this is exactly why we need a Latina from the Bronx on the Supreme Court. The prosecutor’s just lucky she didn’t give him a chancletazo.

Castro finna bounce

Sunday saw Raúl Castro start his second and final five-year term as president of Cuba.

“I should clarify that, in my case, independent of the date on which the Constitution is perfected, this shall be my last term,” Castro said in his televised address to the nation.

He also rejected calls for drastic reforms. “I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba,” he said. “I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it.”

Just like the former pope, who officially stepped down as the Vicar of Christ on Thursday at 8 pm Vatican time, the Castros are walking away from power out of some noble moral impetus. They’re just too friggin’ old for all the drama their leadership has championed.

Just like the pope, although the Castros will hand off leadership to the next generation, nothing’s likely to change. Cuba will still be a communist state suffocated by censorship (and the Vatican will still be Catholic and molesting boys).

And just like with the pope, I say good riddance.

This watered-down Bud’s for you

NPR reported this week that, despite the rumors, Budweiser beer isn’t watered-down.

You may now return to regularly scheduled blackout.

DJ Senator Rubio

A video by TMZ provides evidence that not only is Sen. Marco Rubio a real fan of West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur, but he also might be a certified connoisseur of the genre.

http://www.tmz.com/2013/02/26/senator-marco-rubio-lil-wayne-tupac-wu-tang-clan/

Who knew Rubes could tell the difference between a Tupac and a Lil Wayne? That’s something most rappers are incapable of.

Now if only the senator had enough sense to abandon a sinking ship (the S.S. GOP) and switch parties.

The House of Representatives does the right thing… barely

Former House Speaker (and huge fan of blue outfits) Nancy Pelosi expressed disbelief that so many House Republicans voted against the Violence Against Women Act, which is the first of its kind in providing protection for Native American, immigrant and LGBT victims of domestic abuse.

“I can never explain what Republicans were thinking. I’ll never understand,” Pelosi told HuffPo on Thursday. “How do you explain that vote?”

The House GOP has become malicious in its bullheadness. In fact, that’s the perfect description of House Republicans — they’re bulls, plunging their horns into whatever frightens them regardless of who or what’s in their way.

Notwithstanding the Democrats’ problems — and there are many — it seems to be the only party committed to making the United States a better place for all of its citizens.

While the GOP attempts to court Latino voters in hopes that they can win a presidential election this side of the year 2084, it betrays its true character as the party of extreme bigotry — there really is no other way to describe their personality. Republicans aren’t fooling anyone by dressing up in wool; Latinos and women are still keeping their distance.

Passage of VAWA is something that those Republicans who did vote for it can be proud, and it’s just another in a long list of righteous victories for the Democratic Party. (If you need me to rattle of those victories, then you haven’t been paying attention.)

As for the many Republicans who didn’t vote for VAWA — Republicans who want to remain in the 19th century and maintain their party as the Grand Ol’ White People’s Party — I suggest Congress consider passing a Violence Against Republicans Act ASAP.

[Photo: Adobe of Chaos]