THE SUPREME COURT

today sonia sotomayor was sworn in as a u.s. supreme court justice, becoming the third woman and the first latin-american to serve in that august body. in the country's history, of the 111 who have been chosen to serve in the nation's highest court, all but half a dozen have been white males. to this white male, that reprehensible ratio is long past due for revision. no gender, no race, no ethnic group has a monopoly on the experience or wisdom needed for service on the bench. rather, a deep understanding of the constitution tempered by the perspectives in a diverse court, remains our best hope for balanced and enlightened jurisprudence.