Editor:

The Supreme Court vacancy presents our new president with a virtually impossible choice, largely because of ethnic/religion arithmetic which places legal excellence, even competence, within the constraints of political correctness.

First the facts: There are two Jews, two Italians, one African-American, one woman. This calculates out to an appointee who does not overload any of the demographics. Five are Roman Catholic, so the nominee must be Protestant, female, liberal (since she will be replacing a liberal) and preferably Hispanic. How many Hispanic Protestant female lawyers are there in the USA?

Choosing the new justice will be a real head scratcher for Barack Obama, but remember he was once an adjunct professor of constitutional law at Harvard. Note that he is taking six months to decide. Good thinking, Mr. President! Good luck, America!

HAL M. HALE, Greybull