Letters to the Editor: Oct. 19, 2010

Judgeships lie vacant as Senate Republicans stall confirmations

Regarding: “Halligan ’88 nominated to appeals court” (Thursday, Oct. 7, 2010)

The article is informative and timely but does not make clear that maneuvering by Senate Republicans is preventing judicial nominees from getting approved by the full Senate. The article mistakenly states that “there are currently 22 other federal judiciary nominees awaiting Senate approval.”

In fact, Halligan is not yet among the 23 judicial nominees who were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee (most without dissent) and are being denied floor votes by Senate Republicans using unprecedented, blanket, secret holds. An additional 25 judicial nominees, including Halligan, are still pending in committee.

Since 2001 I have headed the environmental community’s Judging the Environment judicial nominations project and website. In an odd twist of fate, I spearheaded environmental support for the Supreme Court nominations of Elena Kagan ’81 and Sonia Sotomayor ’76 and environmental opposition to Samuel Alito ’72.

I have observed that federal court access has suffered as holds placed on candidates caused vacancies to soar. The number of vacant judgeships that U.S. courts have declared “judicial emergencies” has risen to 49, from 20.

Glenn Sugameli ’76

Courage to come out won’t stop bullying

Regarding: “Strength to be brave, courage to be strong” (Friday, Oct. 15, 2010):

I appreciate Joey Barnett’s call for courage. I came out 13 years ago.

But suggesting that if only Tyler Clementi had had the courage to come out, he might not have committed suicide is ignorant and irresponsible. Asher Brown, age 13, was out and shot himself in the head after being bullied at school. Justin Aaberg, age 15 and out since he was 13, hanged himself in his room after being bullied. And Seth Wash, age 13, out since the fourth grade, also hanged himself after being bullied at school. Matthew Shepherd was also out, but that didn’t keep him from being beaten and tied to a fence post where he was left to die.

These boys do not need to be told they need more courage — they had a lot more courage than most. Coming out takes enormous courage not least because with it often comes a bull’s-eye painted on your back.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Before telling any more LGBT they need the courage to come out, I challenge Joey and other ‘Prince’ readers to have the courage to:

¶ Speak up when they hear a gay slur in the locker room or dorm.

¶ Tell their pastor or priest he is wrong when he says homosexuality is a sin.

¶ Write their senators and tell them the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and the Defense of Marriage Act deny LGBT Americans their constitutional rights and make them second-class citizens.

¶ Work for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, because without that, you can be fired from a job in 37 states simply for being gay or transgender.

Letting these anti-LGBT statements and policies stand creates the environment and tone where Dharun Ravi believed it was acceptable to bully his roommate, Clementi.

Having the courage to come out isn’t going to stop bullying. Your courage as classmates, teammates, roommates, friends, parents, co-workers, employers, professors, administrators, pastors or neighbors to act when you see bullying or hatred on display will.

Alex Beal ’89