Wouldn't It Be Nice

To look at a portrait of the U.S. Supreme Court and see about half men and half women (5-4 or 4-5), persons of European, African, Asian and Latin ethnic heritage? Wouldn't that be nice?

But wouldn't it be tragic to appoint justices with that goal in mind? Wouldn't it be racist? Wouldn't it be 100% political? Wouldn't it be the end of justice as the founding fathers envisioned?

Recent history has proved that one can easily be wrong in their assessment of the lifetime judicial conduct of a Supreme Court justice. More than one has turned out to be quite different than was anticipated at the time of their appointment.

But, when I hear people praising the idea of "the first Latina justice", "another woman justice", etc., I shiver.

Whatever happened to the idea of finding and selecting the very best legal mind, the very best record of experience? When choosing someone as part of the body that is the final, the FINAL arbiter of justice for all Americans, do we deserve anything less?