Post from Morehouse Entertainment Law Student Brian Henry

Afternoon Professor Armwood:
I just wanted to forward you this infromation from the NAACP, in regards to Alito's nomination. See you in entertainment law class on Weds.
Thanks,

Brian D. Henry
Morehouse College NAACP, President
Economics Major
443.621.4476 (c)
brian.henry@yahoo.com


WASHINGTON BUREAU · NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
1156 15th Street, NW Suite 915 · Washington, DC 20005 · P (202)463-2940 · F (202)463-2953
E-MAIL:mailto:washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org · WEB ADDRESS http://www.naacp.org/
ACTION ALERT

DATE: January 13, 2006

TO: Concerned Parties

FROM: Bruce Gordon, NAACP President & CEO
Hilary O. Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau

AFTER ALMOST 700 QUESTIONS, SAMUEL ALITO EVEN MORE TROUBLING ON CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES
NAACP CALLS ON THE ADMINISTRATION TO SUBMIT A NEW NOMINEE

THE ISSUE:
After three days of hearings in which almost 700 questions were asked over a period of 18 hours, the concerns raised by the NAACP in December on Samuel Alito's record on civil rights issues remain unanswered. In fact, the hearings only heightened the NAACP's concerns over the nominee, with his inability to adequately defend his membership in a group that sought to limit the enrollment of women and minorities at Princeton, his alma mater.

During the Senate Judiciary Confirmation hearings, Judge Alito's responses to many of the key questions posed to him were vague and unfulfilling. Specifically, he did not back away from, nor did he fully explain, his written criticism of the concept of "one man, one vote." Nor did he explain why, in case after case, he appears to have bent over backwards and twisted his interpretation of the law to always come out on the side of the wealthy and powerful. Lastly, for a man who was praised by multiple witnesses as having an unfailing memory and an ability to recall even the most arcane detail, the NAACP was left particularly concerned by his claims that he does not recall why he joined the Concerned Alumni
of Princeton (CAP), a group that at the time espoused especially offensive and bigoted goals, or his claim that he cannot recall why he felt that such membership would enhance his job application with the Reagan White House.

The hearings made only one thing clear to the NAACP: Samuel Alito remains indifferent to the impact race and racism still have on our society today, and he has no intention of recognizing them if he is confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A brief overview of his career to date bears this fact out, and it is a career for which he did not adequately answer during the Senate Committee hearings. Specific areas of concern that remain unanswered include:

· In 1985 Judge Alito disagreed in writing with the concept of "one man, one vote";
· In 2000 he voted to uphold an anti-affirmative action decision of a lower court;
· In 1997 he strongly disagreed with a Third Circuit ruling and made it clear that he
supports impossibly high barriers for victims of discrimination to have their cases heard;
· In 1997, he ruled that striking all African Americans from the jury of a case involving
an African American man and the death penalty was irrelevant and likened it to a recent
study showing that a disproportionate number of recent Presidents have been left-handed.

Thus the NAACP remains opposed to the nomination and strongly urges the Senate to reject confirmation. If and when this occurs, the NAACP urges the Administration to nominate an individual who is more concerned with the law and with fairness than the current nominee.

THE ACTION WE NEED YOU TO TAKE:
Contact both your Senators and URGE THEM TO OPPOSE THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE SAMUEL ALITO TO THE SUPREME COURT . To contact your Senators you may:

o Make a Phone Call
Call your Senators in Washington by dialing the Capitol Switchboard and asking to be transferred to your Senators' offices. The switchboard phone number is (202) 224-3121 (see message section, below).

o Write a Letter
To write letters to your Senators, send them to:
The Honorable (name of Senator)
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

o Send a Fax
If you would like to send a fax, call your Senators' offices (through the Capitol switchboard) and ask for their fax numbers (you can use either the attached sample
letter or the message box, below).

o Send an E-Mail
To send an e-mail to your Senators, simply go to www.senate.gov, and click on "Contacting the Senate"; you can look your Senators up either alphabetically or by state. Unfortunately, not all Members of Congress have e-mail addresses.

REMEMBER TO CONTACT BOTH YOUR SENATORS!!!!

THE MESSAGE
o Throughout his career, Judge Alito has made statements and issued opinions in direct opposition to the core beliefs and goals of the NAACP.

o During the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, Judge Alito did not address these concerns, and in fact his reluctance to answer questions about his membership in a group whose goal was to exclude women and minorities from Princeton, his alma mater, only solidified the NAACP opposition to the nomination.

o The NAACP's opposition is based on a thorough investigation into his past writings and actions first as an attorney with the Reagan Administration then as a Circuit Court judge.

o During his career Judge Alito has spoken or written against such core NAACP values as voting rights, affirmative action, anti-discrimination laws and police brutality.

o The importance of the seat Judge Alito has been nominated for cannot be understated; this is a lifetime position to fill a vacancy created by a judge who is often considered the "swing vote" on many issues important to racial and ethnic minorities.

(Sample Letter)

(date)

The Honorable ___________________________
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

RE: OPPOSE THE NOMINATION OF SAMUEL ALITO TO
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE ON THE US SUPREME COURT

Dear Senator _______________________________;

As your constituent, I urge you, in the strongest terms possible, to oppose the nomination of Samuel Alito to serve as Associate Justice to the US Supreme Court. During his career Judge Alito has spoken or written against such core values as voting rights, affirmative action, anti-discrimination laws and police brutality. Furthermore, he did not adequately address these concerns during the confirmation hearings, and was particularly vague when it came to these issues.

Should he be confirmed to the US Supreme Court to replace Sandra Day O' Conner, I also have strong concerns that Judge Alito will dramatically shift the balance of the court away from the middle and much more to the conservative end of the spectrum. I am certain that a careful review of his record, and of the written and oral statements and judicial decisions of the past will clearly lead you to determine, as I have, that Judge Alito is an inappropriate nominee for our Nation's highest court.

It is vitally important that the justices of the US Supreme Court be willing to interpret the Constitution in a manner that is fair and respectful of the rights of all Americans. Furthermore, it is your duty as my elected representative and as my voice in the United States Senate to insure that every Supreme Court nominee uphold my basic civil rights and civil liberties.

Thus, I am urging you again to oppose this nomination. Please contact me in the very near future to let me know what you are going to do on this matter and what I can do to help you make certain that the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans are protected.

Sincerely,

(sign and print your name and
remember to include your address)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT MATTER!!!
If you have any questions, call Hilary Shelton at the Washington Bureau at (202) 463-2940.
MEMBERSHIP IS POWER! JOIN THE NAACP TODAY.
For more information, call your local NAACP branch or visit http://www.naacp.org/

1156 15th Street, Suite 915, Washington, DC 20005