Reading the Pictures: Reaching the High Court on the Backs of White Heroes

Talk about wedge tactics.

Take a look at this line of New Haven firefighters filing into the Sotomayor confirmation hearings Wednesday morning. (If you don't know the backstory, the Supremes recently overturned Sotomayor's New Haven decision, the court asserting white firefighters, led by the litigious Frank Ricci, were unfairly treated by the tossing out of a promotion exam minority test-takers did comparatively worse on.)

With the glow firefighters continue to carry from 9/11, this line of primarily white "first responders" makes for a vivid non-verbal argument that Sonia is stepping up to the high court on the backs of these white heroes. And then, the message is reinforced, if just by chance, with the further scene of Sotomayor talking to a group of black servicemen forming a wall between her and the New Haven contingent.

From some of my readers at BAGnewsNotes:

Hmmmm. I wonder who paid their expenses? Are they "on duty". (dada)

The pictures of long lines of people waiting to get seats in the hearing room suggest that it's first come, first served. But the New Haven firefighters appear to be taking seats that were reserved for them. Yes, Ricci is going to testify, but how did the eight others get reserved seats? Did they bump the queue? (DennisQ)

Notice, by the way, that Ricci himself remains tucked in the background. (He's against the wall just to the left of what looks like the red-haired guy.)

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(image: Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images. July 15, 2009, Senate Judiciary Committee. Capitol Hill. Washington, DC. )

 

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Comments

[CharlesLewis]

"Hero" has got to be one of the most overworked words in the language. It's losing it's meaning.

[emlr]

True, but having said that, firefighters are and always will be, my #1 heroes.

[gvnn688]

Sonia Sotomayor followed the law and precedent. The city of New Haven made a judgement not to certify the exams in good faith and according to the law could not be held liable. The Supreme Court by a 5-4 ruling applied empathy for the firefighters, changed the rules of the precedent, which only they can do, and ruled the city fear of a discrimination lawsuit was not a good enough reason to not certify the exam. When I first learn of this case it was my opinion the city's should have certified the results, promoted those who were eligible, and then check the validity of the test. I still believe that was the right and fair thing to do; but according to the law the city did not do anything wrong just stupid. Today, Mr. Ricci stated the media made this case only about the White firefighters when Black and Hispanic firefighters were also affected. Information like this was on Media Matters. The media and the GOP need to both be ashamed how they portrayed this case. I have not heard anyone in the media respond to Mr. Ricci's corrections. Mr. Ricci attempted today to bring us together yet the media and the pundits have not responded. Maybe they just want to keep us divided. We must always speak and seek the truth.

[Tena]

I'm totally sick to death of these Connecticut firefighters. They act like Sotomayor personally tore up their exams and threw them in their faces. She was a member of a court - one judge, and she didn't personally do anything to anyone. She just followed the law and it really was less about the firefighters and more about the fire department's serious good-faith attempts to make their testing process fair.

[TheKurgan9]

She could have descented but chose not to and all three judges wrote one paragraph about the ruling. It made it look like she really didn't care about the case.

The reason why she is getting grilled about it is because she is nominated for TSCOTUS.

[gaebolgaes]

i don't consider world war two veterans heros. they went to war with a segregated racist army to kill germans for murdering jews while they were lynching us. a 6th grade teacher who escaped from 3 nazi death camps told me that americans treated blacks the same way nazis treated jews. (minus the ovens and gas).after the war the "greatest generation,then went home and fought 25 years to keep blacks from getting civil and voting rights.i don't consider fireman and policeman heros because of their racist history of not hiring blacks period. my uncle Ernest, was the first black on my hometown police department. he had a degree in law enforcement while the police chief was 1st generation polish immigrant with a 6th grade education just like the other illiterate irish, italian and polish immigrants on the dept. uncle ernest was not allowed to have a squad car and couldn't arrest whites unless he was with a white officer. the 2nd black cop who was hired and who has since become famous for being the personal bodyguard for every coach hired by a famous college football team also had a 4 year degree in law enforcement. he too had to be an underling for less qualified polish immigrant police chiefs. when i got out of the army a green beret weapons expert,i never gave applying to racist institutions like police and fire depts a second thought.it was simply beneath my dignity.

[TheKurgan9]

The days of Uncle Ernest's police dept is over. It's time to move on buddy. Like Obama said...NO EXCUSES...it's in your hands now.

[GeorgeBurnsWasRight]

I don't see how "No Excuses" in 2009 is relevant to gaebolgaes' experience of roughly 40 years ago. He's about 60 years old and he's supposed to now decide to join the fire or police dept?? Yes, there's been a lot of progress since the Civil Rights laws were passed, but we haven't yet reached the promised land, we're just closer. Obama is suggesting a change of tactics, not goal.

[jinsei]

You point out an interesting irony that I've never thought about! I think Americans, in general, are often blinded by symbolism, which I feel is often the biggest impediment to our addressing and implementing rational and quick solutions to the U.S.'s challenges of the day.

[glorysong]

What about the rest of the non-whites who are Firemen, are they not hero's also?

[SpoxLogic]

Note: The author is just trying to put his take on what he feels the message the Repubs and GOP are hoping get across. While it maybe a stretch, he is correct in wondering why the other fire fighters needed to be there when only Ricci is going to testify. Also, I wouldn't put anything past them, judging from their racially tinged tones, and comments this past week at these hearings.

[RebaG]

I agree with your sentiments. I would go further and argue tha Judge Sotomayor has stepped up to the highest court on the back of a 17 year judicial career -- her own career.

However, I don't think the author is saying that he necessarily believes Sotomayor is stepping up to the court on the backs of the white firefighters but, perhaps, that the visuals provided by this picture serve to reinforce the implicit argument made by Republicans on the committee. That is, that THEY believe she is stepping up to the court on the backs of white firefighters (and, other whites as well).

[Not Blind]

We all respect firefighters and their contributions to the communities they serve. You speak of the white heros, and neglect ALL heros (including the non-white individuals) who serve. This is the same racism that you accuse Judge Sotomayor of. Sotomayor was following the predecent set by previous rulings, and did not write an opposing, but was with the majority of the court's opinion in this case.
Perhaps this was or was not a good decision, but accusing Sotomayor of using white heros to advance her career is polarizing, political posturing, and distracts focus from the issues regarding her nomination: her judicial record. She's been in the majority nearly 98% of the time, and is regarded as a centrist and moderate (not far left or liberal).
Perhaps you lament Sessions was rejected (a closet Klansman), and would prefer we have more gool old white bigots on the court, as if we don't have enough already.

[pissedmichael]

I can't even say I see the point of your story.

[karinova]

If you care:
He's a blogger; his blog is basically syndicated to HP. So this wasn't written as a news story, it's a blog post.

His blog is very specifically focused on "visual politics"-- they analyze news photos, looking at what message the editors who chose the photos might have been trying to get across.
So. There were probably a dozen shots of this scene. Why /this/ photo?

(It is quite striking, the way the white firefighters are separated from Sotomayor by the black firefighters-- not just because she's walled off from the white ones, but also because she's so fully /engaged/ with the black ones, she seems completely unaware of the white ones!)

[emlr]

One picture in time and we get this run on how she is advancing on the backs of white men?! Were there no pictures of her greeting the white firemen?

[ObamAtomic]

Your post is borderline based in race,Sonia using "white Heroes" as steeping stone
to advance her career is "absolutely Not Necessarily".
You can not advance a cause disregarding the other side merits.

[ObamAtomic]

If you don't know the back story, Sonia Sotomayor don't decided the case by herself
and she was following precedent.
The Supreme Court reversed themselves from previous ruling.

[TheKurgan9]

As Sotomayor said, precedent is not always correct because each case is a little different and circumstances surrounding each case are as well....no two cases are exactly alike.

I'm a conservative, and like Lyndsay Graham I'm bothered by some of the things she has said, but I really think she will do a good job on the court. Very intelligent, I mean Princeton and Yale Law (the best undergrad and best law schools in the land) are great accomplish­ments....h­er mother is to be commended.