Monday, November 24, 2008

Americans of Hispanic descent should push name of Kevin Sharp to be appointed to federal bench

It has been a great privilege for me to belong to a Google group of about 500 Hispanics across the country who have accomplished much professionally, politically and on the grassroots level.

The news and events we report to one another are not seen in the supposed mainstream media. The gross mistreatment of undocumented human beings and their families -- including American citizen children -- is rarely recognized on local and national TV newscasts.

But we cannot forget where we came from or the requirement of our God to love one another and the stranger among us. So we look for any positive to push, any cause to embrace and any person of courage and integrity to support.

Against that backdrop, I sent out the following message today to my Google group of distinguished and heroic members:

It is disappointing that in the aftermath of Sen. Obama's victory and the critical role that Americans of Hispanic descent played in Florida, Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico that the so-called mainstream news media has reverted to the same old black and white faces to talk about America's political future.

I hope there have been exceptions, but I did not notice any on Sunday morning's TV shows.

It also is disappointing that Gov. Bill Richardson probably will not be rewarded with the Secretary of State job despite his impressive experience and the risk he took in backing Obama during the presidential primary.

Amid all this disappointment, there is some hope, at least here in Nashville. Someone I know very well for his integrity and compassion is being considered for a federal judgeship on the district level. His name is Kevin Sharp. He runs a law firm here that takes on a lot of pro bono work for the poor and marginalized. He helped me personally in my darkest hours.


No, he is not Hispanic. But he was a prime mover behind Bill Richardson's campaign for president, as were many members of his law firm. He is a very good Democrat who believes in the party's ideals nationally.

Please, if you see fit, pass his name up the ranks of the Obama team and encourage them to appoint Mr. Sharp as a federal district court judge here. Hispanics in Nashville continue to be targeted by the 287g deportation program and now an English only referendum. The state Legislature now is under GOP control, which means we'll see a flood of anti-immigrant legislation.

We desperately need someone like Kevin to turn to for relief under the U.S. Constitution. We want nothing more than what the law provides out of a sense of fairness, justice and humanity.

If you have any questions about him, please send them to me, and I'll answer them. Or he will. And let the Obama people know that I endorsed their candidate in Spanish language newspapers in my Hispanic Link News Service column BEFORE the Texas primary.

Un abrazo,
Tim

No comments: