Selecting Judges
In the article “Judge Says More Jews Belong on High Court” (Part B, May 5), Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals asks “why aren’t there two, three or more Jews on the (U.S. Supreme) court today?”
The direction that the judge’s argument takes appears to be divisive, even dangerous to national unity.
If there is to be a Jewish seat on the Supreme Court as the judge proposes, then it would follow that there should be an Armenian seat, a Mormon seat, a Muslim seat, and so on.
The point is that to apply a racial and/or religious test for membership on the United States Supreme Court is unconstitutional on its face, even if argued by a sitting judge.
Furthermore, to propose that a number of seats be allocated to one particular group is blatant special pleading and affronts America’s sense of fairness.
JEAN PRICE
Claremont
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