Tuesday, May 26, 2009

What's Wrong With the North Bronx?

So I woke up and heard Judge Sotomayor giving her speech accepting the Supreme Court nomination. And she was like "South Bronx" this and "South Bronx" that, and after a while, I start saying to myself, dang, y'all, girl representin' here.

I'm pretty sure she threw some gang signs and name-checked Biggie and Tupac . . .

Anyway, my grasp of New York City geography being a little hazy -- I've only actually been there once, not counting the the time I passed through on a train to Boston and back -- I began to wonder, why are we always hearing about people being from the South Bronx? Never in my life have I heard anybody even mention the North Bronx.

What's up with that? My guess is that while the South Bronx is all gritty and mean streets with graffiti and gang bangers and pimps and all that, the North Bronx probably must be like a vanilla bland suburban scene, with Ikea stores and stuff.

So nobody wants to admit they're from boring, bourgeois North Bronx, which is uncool, like being from Connecticut or Long Island. Kids in North Bronx, with their safe neighborhoods and shopping malls, probably lie and say they're South Bronx, because otherwise people would think they were wimps and beat them up.

That's my theory, anyway.

UPDATE: Yo, Cato in the House! Ilya Shapiro:
Word, bro. Roger Pilon:
And she didn't even mention Jam Master Jay.

UPDATE II: Via Instapundit, the sister from South Bronx gets dissed by Roger Kimball:
The air hadn't stopped vibrating with the news that Justice Souter was taking his quill pen and heading back to New Hampshire before Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic nominee to the Supreme Court, emerged as a front-runner on the SCOTUS racing form. Comments there noted her qualifications -- correct complement of chromosomes and suitable ethnic identity, above all, but also the requisite armory of left-liberal opinions without which no candidate for the Court under Obama need apply.
Isn't it odd that (a) on the one hand, her being a Latina inspires MSM celebration, yet (b) on the other hand, nobody is supposed to think she was chosen mainly because she is a Latina?

Donald Douglas calls her a "token," but the weird thing is I can't even work up any outrage at this kind of tokenism. It's expected, like her being a Princeton/Yale Law alumna. Just once in my life I'd like to see a president nominate to the court a graduate of, say, University of Tennessee Law School.

That would be diversity. Instead, she's just another Ivy Leaguer. Yawn.

UPDATE III: In the comments, E.D. Kain of The Ordinary Gentlemen arches an eyebrow:

Biggie and Tupac, Stacy?
Like I said, I was asleep and woke up with this on my TV, so maybe I misunderstood. But if I don't know North Bronx from South Bronx, how can you expect me to tell East Coast from West Coast? I'm hip, but not that hip.

You notice she didn't say a word for my homey Dolla Burton, though.

UPDATE IV: Second 'Lanche of the day? Like Tigerhawk says in the comments:
Rule 6: Weave approving references to law professors, Knoxville, or the University of Tennessee Law School into as many posts as possible, preferably those with a hat tip-link back to Instapundit.
Don't try this at home, kids. I am a highly-trained professional blogger. Also, Clyde offers a good comment:
I think he picked her because Rosa Luxemburg was already dead.
And to all you uptight whiteys throwing down "bigotry" accusations in the comments:
  • That's so 2007, dude.
  • Don't hate the playa, hate the game.
Peace out.

UPDATE V: Since we're all about representin' today -- Dirty South! -- I'll go through the Memeorandum threads, and throw some Rule 2 on the usual suspects and newbie peeps:
KURU Lounge, Opinionated Catholic, Just One Minute, Weekly Standard, Don Surber, Volokh Conspiracy, Outside the Beltway, Townhall, Red State, Wizbang, Roger L. Simon, Debbie Schlussel, Pundit & Pundette, Hot Air, Michelle Malkin, Power Line, Jawa Report, NRO Corner, Stop the ACLU and Dr. Flap.
Lot of FMJRA aggregation there.

UPDATE VI: Sarcasm alert! Sarcasm alert!


  1. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. It's like those of us who grew up in Queens who feel compelled to mention that we grew up pretty close to Brooklyn. Street cred gets blown up if people think you were more Long Island Queens than New York City Queens. Actually, there's not much street cred in admitting that you were born anywhere in Queens. It's barely a step above Staten Island.

    It's really all confusing to those of you who didn't grow up in New York. It's actually pretty confusing to those of us born there as well.

  2. Barry has made it cool to be an "ethnic" and in particular one from a "disadvantaged" background. How disadvantaged was this women who went to Princeton and Yale?

    These people keep complaining about the folks from these backgrounds not have a "chance", when they themselves are proof that you don't have to live like your favorite hip-hop artist.

  3. I think it's part of that strange need that so many New Yorkers have, to prove their toughness. Many people here seem to be proud of their rude, loud, in-your-face attitudes. They live for conflict.

    I grew up in the South Bronx and we moved north as soon as we were able to, and I moved farther north once I was able to. Keep your toughness, I much prefer civility. I know, I'm crazy that way.

  4. Watching the Land of the Lost on Sci Fi yesterday, I was reminded when the left wing assholes weren't allowed to infuse every single show on tv with identity politics, their little politics.

    There were stories about life and morality.

    So we went from that honesty, to the asshole moronic identity politics of the liberaloid pricks.

  5. I'm pretty sure she threw some gang signs and name-checked Biggie and Tupac . . .Biggie and Tupac, Stacy?

  6. I'm from the North Bronx/South Bronx dividing, so I can represent in multilingual fashion.

    For the record, I oppose the nomination.

  7. I love it! Out of the closet, abject bigotry. Your family must be soooo proud.

  8. The North Bronx is called "Riverdale" and is tony indeed. I went to school there as very young boy. Still had fights with weapons though, just we had seconds.

  9. Wait-- weren't there too many Catholics on the court? I thought liberals were afraid of the Catholic legal ideology?

    I guess it wasn't the Catholicism at all, was it?

  10. West coast rappers are shot by record producers..

    East coast rappers are shot by new up and comers..

    Or the other way around.

  11. I think he picked her because Rosa Luxemburg was already dead.

  12. You sound so damn ignorant. First: there is only one bland suburban neighborhood in the Bronx and it is Riverdale where they don't even like to say there are from the Bronx. Second: Biggie and Tupac, really? She happens to be the most qualified and Hispanic, and a woman? Does ur sexist, racist, elitist self have a problem with that? Third: Come to the North Bronx, say Gun Hill Rd, Edenwald or 233rd and watch how quickly your pockets get emptied...ignorant bigot.

  13. <sarcasm>
    Don't all you racists get it?
    Her skin color is important because it's a sign to all people of her skin color (but not anyone else) that hard work pays off. It's important that someone of her skin color be on the supreme court, because all people of her skin color think the same way and it's important to have those ethnic opinions represented. Also, if someone of her skin color is on the supreme court, this will raise the inherent value of everyone else of the same skin color in her reflected glory rather than that overrated individual merit nonsense.
    It's amazing all the op-eds that say exactly the above this morning. The LA times snow-job is particularly gag-me-with-a-spooon worthy. MLK is has been spinning in his grave for decades, but by now if we could hook him up to a dynamo, we'd solve the world's energy troubles.

  14. Am I the only one bothered that her opinions are overturned and rebuked as nonsense even by CLINTON appointees?

  15. The University of Tennessee Law School? I think that deserves a new Rule. "Rule 6: Weave approving references to law professors, Knoxville, or the University of Tennessee Law School into as many posts as possible, preferably those with a hat tip-link back to Instapundit." (I kill me.)

  16. Mr. Tizol said...


    I've got a problem with it. The only reason you think she is the most qualified is because your a bigot. Obviously she was not so for you buy into it that she is, you must be judging based on something else (like skin color).

    Bigot... tool... hard to tell the difference.. maybe both.

  17. How can you guys not love her? She was first nominated to the Fed bench by Pres G. Bush?!@?!#%

    Bush (both) have a R behind their name. That indicates GOP!
    atleast she aint from "Bklin"
    If youve never been to NY that will not translate. Go there.

    Voting for liberal Republican can be worse than dealing with the Devil. Like Souter it gets you faster sometimes than the Devil.
    Which is why is say again *NO ON CHARLIE/CHUCK/DUMB F**K* in Fla.
    What good does it do the party to gain a few seats if it loses its soul?

    Rod Stanton
    Cerritos, Cal

  18. I thought Alito was of Hispanic descent?

  19. I could have sworn Alito was of hispanic descent.

    Reminds me of the scene from Deuce Bigalow, European Gigolo:

    Deuce Bigalow: T.J., I'm so glad you are here.
    T.J. Hicks: How did you find me?
    Deuce Bigalow: Well, this seemed like the only chicken and waffles place in all of Holland.
    T.J. Hicks: Ohhh, so the black guy has to go to a chicken and waffles place, that's Racist!
    Deuce Bigalow: But you're here.
    T.J. Hicks: Yeah, but figuring it out was racist.

  21. The Barney Frank defense:

    Bush did it, too.


    Unfortunately, it's too true.


    From judicialnetwork.com, emphasis mine.
    "The White House is sure to argue that Sotomayor is a “bipartisan pick” because Bush 41 appointed her to the district court: President George H.W. Bush nominated Sotomayor in 1991 only because the New York senators had forced on the White House a deal that enabled Senator Moynihan to name one of every four district court nominees in New York. In 1998, 29 Republican senators voted against President Clinton’s nomination of Sotomayor to the Second Circuit.

  23. The "South Bronx" reference reminds me of George Carlin's schtick about saying he grew up in "White Harlem," which sounded way cooler than "Morningside Heights."

  24. Hey wingers, I'm going to let you in on a secret. It's all about identity politics. Not only that, but she's more liberal than she appears. Not only that, but she's only 54 years old, and she's in damn good health.

    You MUST oppose her tooth and claw. Which means that the Republicans in the Senate must do the same, or they face primary challenges. Which means your 44% Hispanic support in '04 that dropped to 31% in '08 is going to drop to 20% in '12.

    Which means that Texas and Arizona are in play. Which means you're screwed for a generation. Which means that we liberals aren't as opposed to torture as we claim. You are chained to a rock, a large bird devouring your liver, and we are laughing.

    So unfair. So horribly, horribly unfair.

  25. Wow, I guess "Jim" said it all. Its a war, pure and simple.

  26. You MUST oppose her tooth and claw.Why? Even if we reactionaries were successful, he'd just nominate someone further left.

    I've recommended having spare nominees handy a few years ago and the tactic is obvious enough for Obama to have a few spares as well.

  27. I guess Jim lets us know why the liberal assholes seem to push two language systems, illegal immigration, race based political systems.

    It's not like we didn't know what you assholes were up to Jim, but thanks for letting us know what your motivations are.

    yeah, what about that, "single party rule is horrible" bullshit?

    As usual, the liberals have no rules, no morals, and have no problem with lying.

    And molesting boys as well.

    What marvelous people.

  28. Anyone check her taxes yet? She seems rather arrogant to me, tax cheats and arrogance go hand in hand.

  29. Hey wingers, there's going to be a special election in TX when Hutchinson runs for governor. That ought to be interesting after your side makes clear that it couldn't give a shit about the Hispanics. First it was the border wall, now Sotamayor. Good luck with that!

    And over in Arizona, McJerk is up for re-election in 2010. Do you just kinda sorta think that the Hispanics of that state might be watching what he and Kyl, the nutcase, are going to do?

    Nah, not at all. Carry on, wackos! By the way, the very best outcome from my point of view is a nasty, ugly battle in which Sotamayor fails to be confirmed because of a Republican filibuster. That would tip TX and AZ, and once tipped they ain't gonna tip back for a long while.

  30. Of course, she's a token! She's two tokens: a woman and whatever Hispatinos call themselves now. And that's because there weren't any female, paraplegic, dyslexic, half-Hispanic, half-Asians on the courts of appeals. You want as many firsts on the table as possible. That's the essence of identity politics: 1. Justices should have empathy for the underclasses and 2. The only way you can be sure they'll be empathetic is to appoint someone from that group.

    That explains why it took so long for "colored people" to gain any headway in fighting Jim Crow in the courts. The constitutional limits on federal power to strike down state laws had nothing to do with it. It was all lack of empathy!

    I always regretted not taking Con Law in law school, not no more than now, when I learn that it was all this simple. It would have been an easy 'A.'

  31. Just once in my life I’d like to see a president nominate to the court a graduate of, say, University of Tennessee Law School.As a student at the University of Tennessee College of Law, I wholeheartedly agree with this. ;)

    There was a Supreme Court Justice who had his Bachelor Degree from UT. I think it was Justice Sanford.

  32. "she's only 54 years old, and she's in damn good health"

    I'm curious as to how you got a hold of a Federal Judge's medical records...

    Just the same, we can always follow the liberal example and hope someone "feeds her lots of eggs and butter so she dies early of heart disease."

    We can, but we won't. This is called "moral superiority." It's harder than relativism, but you should try it sometime... you just might like yourself for a change.

  33. "Jim said..."

    1) It's not really much of a secret that Obama is using the "wise Latina woman" and all Latinos as pawns in his electoral power games, but thanks anyway.

    2) Dream on over your progs will be in power for a generation, since the Greatest Depression Obama and the rest of his DC Clowns are cooking up will be far more important to the electorate than silly identity politics.

    Now let me let you in on a little secret, Jim. The GOP won't fight this nomination, because:

    1) We're simply trading one prog justice for another.

    2) Most elected Republicans are unprincipled, uninspired mopes who only care about their own power too.

    Prediction: Obama's out in '12, and Americans will also be done rewarding the Depots in DC (on both sides of the aisle) for their epic failures. 2012 is the year of the third party.

  34. So is Sotomayor a wiser Latin women than all the wise Latin women I see in public in LA getting slapped around by their own children?

    I always wondered where the kids got that. Did I miss the Cantinflas movie where he coldcocked Mamacita, or the Power Rangers ep where the Rangers slapped the crap outta Mom because she wouldn't let the Pink Ranger come out and fight evil?

    TW: gingwore: a diehard Newt supporter

  35. And over in Arizona, McJerk is up for re-election in 2010. Do you just kinda sorta think that the Hispanics of that state might be watching what he and Kyl, the nutcase, are going to do?They ignored McCain's record in 2008.

  36. Good post RSM!
    Why don't we ever hear about the North Bronx?

    Anyway, some thoughts on the fallacy of the"token" argument: the premise is flawed because "token", as used by the half-wit inbreds on this thread, means anybody who isn't a white male.
    " Token", as used by the dip-shit troglodytes on this thread, also infers " affirmative action". This premise is also flawed as the idea is to characterize any " token" appointee unqualified: meaning that to the stupid hicks on this thread, only white males are patently qualified-- while women, blacks, hispanics ,asians etc. are nominated because of
    "identity politics". Like Harriet Myers...

    In any case, the collective blabbering on this thread is like the sweet sound of Conservatism digging its own grave. Fascinating to witness the irrelevance of a whole group of people who simply cannot grasp that this country is no longer stuck in the 20th century.
    Keep diggin, boys!
    Someday you might make it to China after all....

  37. To Captain Oblivious (formerly known as Juvenile Blind Boy), my favorite arch-villain nemesis:

    You blabbering half-wit inbred. The idea is NOT to "characterize any 'token' appointee unqualified." The idea, you stupid hick, is to properly label any unqualified appointee as 'token.'
    And 'token' does NOT infer race, as proven by the fact we don't know your race, yet we keep you around as our token dip-shit troglodyte.

    "Token" just means that you've proven yourself not to be taken seriously, also known as your irrelevence.

  38. Captain Obvious/Oblivious....
    Captain Obvious is so oblivious that he didn't realize that the "Captain Oblivious" moniker was meant for him.Unless he's attempting the tried but true Conservative tactic better known as the " I know you are but what am I " defense. Genius!

    But I can't help but notice that among his flimsy repertoire of verbal jousting techniques is the unoriginal method of taking everything you say and repeating it verbatim. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, so thank you... douche bag.

    Be that as it may, it seems that , in an effort to defend his dim witted opinions, he has proven himself a graduate of the radio talk-show institute for mentally deficient sociopaths.
    Arch nemesis? OK captain. If you think so. Then again, I'm past the comic book stage while you still peddle simplistic euphemisms. I bet you worship Jack Baur, dontcha?
    Til we meet again, lame-o.

  39. You're so vain, you probably think this post is about you...

    Why use a cannon to kill a mosquito?

    Especially one that couldn't "prove" its way out of a tautology.

  40. Yes, why use a cannon to kill a mosquito?
    I asked the same question when Bush decided to go after Saddam.
    But I get the feeling that you think your are the one wielding the cannons here.
    Well ol' chum, I'm still waiting. In the meantime, you might consider stuffing your pants with the proverbial aluminum wrapped pickle. You've got no cannons and it seems like your mommy has taken away what little cojones God endowed you with.
    I'm calling your bluff,Cindy....

  41. Dear Captain Oblivious

    Flattered by the offer, but I'm just not interested in stuffing you into my pants, no matter how much tinfoil you're wrapped in.

    Oh, and for future reference, you can't "call" anything if you don't ante anything of value. You might notice that the last screed you posted didn't actually refute anything. I know, you often forget to think up a point in the midst of your foaming lather.

    Until next time, evil-doer! Stay Safe!

  42. Dear Capt. Blovious--
    Surely I'm dealing with a future talk-show host.I can't wait to see how you take what I've said
    and re-iterate it so that it seems like you actually said something original.
    My gawd, no wonder you're side is still losing!
    When Sotomayor is confirmed, I will laugh my ass off thinking of the excruciating pain you'll be dealing with, not to mention the
    humiliation you and the rest of your trailer-bred ilk will have to live with.
    Oh, the sad tune those banjo's play when your ideology is reduced to
    the wishful-thinking pap it is today...
    Deliverance is yours when you put down your Am radio...