Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Masking Tension Reports in Supreme Court: 'I'm Choosing to Be Safe'

[marmar]

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is speaking out amid reports of mask-related tension between herself and fellow Justice Neil Gorsuch.

While appearing virtually on Tamron Hall's eponymous show Wednesday, the host asked Sotomayor, 67, about the "rare statement" she and Gorsuch, 54, released last week, denying that she had asked him to wear a face mask, amid her own ongoing decision to do so.

"Each individual has to make that choice for themselves, and I think that it's important to remember that people feel differently about these issues, and you don't have to engage in negative colloquy with friends or colleagues about the question," said Sotomayor. "You can engage in conversation around it, and respect the choice that each person is making."

"And that's the best, or the most, I can say about that situation with respect to my work environment. I'm choosing to be safe," she added. ..............(more)

https://people.com/politics/justice-sonia-sotomayor-masking-tension-supreme-court-tamron-hall-interview/

[hlthe2b]

1. translation: "my colleague is a self-entitled selfish ass, but one I have to work with, so...

I am removing myself from his potential harm in the interest of SCOTUS harmony." I think that about covers it.

[FreepFryer]

2. My own interpretation:

“ people feel differently about these issues “
Gorsuch won’t wear a mask

“you don't have to engage in negative colloquy“
She won’t engage in personal attacks that further polarize the Court

” You can engage in conversation around it,”
She raised her workplace concerns to her level best

"And that's the best, or the most, I can say about that situation with respect to my work environment. I'm choosing to be safe.”
Given this, she knows, and cannot say, that her colleagues are not interested in acting in her health interests, they only care about themselves, even in matters of life and death.

[gratuitous]

4. "I'm choosing to be safe"

The implication is that someone else is choosing to be unsafe; reckless, even.

[BoomaofBandM]

3. It would be great if all could choose to be safe.

It is not an option for many. So I do not agree with her statement to respect the choice others make. I do not respect people who choose to put others at risk.

I have the luxury of staying isolated, but in my family as well as the families of my brothers and sisters, we have doctors and nurses, teachers and principals, retail, and trades. They all have to work with the public.

Also in my family, I have a really bad immune system, my sister is in chemo for pancreatic cancer, there are 3 diabetics. And quite a few kids under the age of 5.

I really like her, but I was not happy with her statement.

[llashram]

5. unmasked, unvaccinated

people are enemies of the state and murderers of their fellow Americans. Period.

[luv2fly]

6. "You can engage in conversation around it, and respect the choice that each person is making."

Doing the former almost ensures you won't do the latter.