She is a daughter of the Bronx, a child of the projects and the product of a single-parent household - and now Sonia Sotomayor has rocketed onto the list of potential nominees for the United States Supreme Court.
Up from the Bronxdale Houses via Cardinal Spellman High School to serious consideration for the highest bench in the land. That's a hell of a journey, one that deserves note by the young in today's hard-scrabble city.
Whether or not President Obama taps Sotomayor to become the first Hispanic Supreme, whether or not she is confirmed by the Senate, her accomplishments stand her high in the ranks of New York doers.
On the merits, Sotomayor deserves to be among the select few studied for the slot that Justice David Souter is vacating. Her record on the federal bench, as both a trial and appellate judge, will be the most important yardstick for measuring her qualifications against a field of candidates.
May the best woman or the best man win.
For now, it's enough to savor the possibility of having a person of Sotomayor's background on the court.
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http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/05/02/2009-05-02_bronx_girl_makes_good_sonia_sotomayor_merits_look_for_us_supreme_court_.html