{"id":4195,"date":"2005-11-03T04:02:11","date_gmt":"2005-11-03T08:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2005\/11\/03\/finito-con-scalito-its-a-sill"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:26","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:26","slug":"finito-con-scalito-its-a-silly-sobriquet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2005\/11\/03\/finito-con-scalito-its-a-silly-sobriquet\/","title":{"rendered":"finito con “scalito” — it’s a silly sobriquet"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This<\/FONT><\/A> grandson of Italy is firmly in the camp of those who would prefer<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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an early burial of the nickname “Scalito” for Judge Samual Alito, at least<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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for purposes of public discourse<\/SPAN><\/SPAN> — <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>not<\/EM>, however, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>because it is a grave <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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insult to <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>Italian-Americans.  I think it <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>is sufficiently immature, misleading <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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and <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>insulting (to both ends of the <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>portmanteau<\/SPAN><\/SPAN> — <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>Scalia and Alito), to be <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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inappropriate in a serious public <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>debate.   <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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\"scalitoXg\"   <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>For an extensive and excellent discussion of the debate over the<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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word “Scalito,” complete with linguisitic and political analysis, see <\/SPAN><\/SPAN>Benjamin <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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Zimmer’s Language Log<\/A><\/EM>, which featured <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>“<\/FONT>A perilous portmanteau?”<\/FONT><\/A> (Nov. 1,<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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2005) and <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>“Squabbles over ‘Scalito’<\/FONT><\/A>” (Nov. 2, 2005).  Nick at musementpark<\/EM><\/FONT><\/A> <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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also has a few prime comments, suggesting that those who love wordplay <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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had little choice but to dream up the nickname for Judge Sam.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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empty bottle<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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a few words<\/FONT><\/DIV>
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I would like to take back<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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             John Stevenson<\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>from <\/FONT>Quiet Enough<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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The immediate charges of anti-Italian bias<\/A> by the National <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>Italian American <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Founda<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>tion (NIAL<\/A>) and racism by unnamed Republican operatives, followed <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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by defensive speculations on the left<\/A> about the intentions of the complainants, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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suggest that raising the American Emotional Quotient (and especially that <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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of the media, the Web, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>and “defamation professionals”) <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>should be an important <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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national priority.  <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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 <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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on the face<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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that last night called me names<\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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morning sunbeam<\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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earplugs<\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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now my heart is<\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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too loud<\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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George Swede<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> from <\/FONT>Almost Unseen<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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(Brooks Books, 2000)<\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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Whether hired, self-annoited or otherwise chosen, those who see their jobs <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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as <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>protecting and defending the “reputation” of any group, far too often adopt <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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a <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>lowest-<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>common-threshold of offense, and an ultra-sensitive ear for insult.  <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Thus, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>NIAF complained in its press release<\/A> (on Oct. 31, 2005):<\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN>                                                                                     “scalitoXNover” <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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“The NIAF is distressed by the attempts of some senators and <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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the media (CNN,CBS) to marginalize Judge Samuel Alito’s out-<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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standing record, by frequent reference to his Italian heritage <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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and by the use of the nickname, ‘Scalito’.” <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>
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Oddly, NIAF mentioned Alito’s Italian heritage two times in the three-<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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sentence press release that same day, in which it applauded Pres.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Bush’s appointment of Judge Alito.  More telling, the Foundation’s <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>own <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Mission Statement<\/A> boasts that it is “raising the prominence of all things <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Italian in American culture and society, and making ‘Italian American’ <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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part <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>of <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>the national conversation.”  People who group together to broad-<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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cast their pride in their ancestry, should not be insulted when their <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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ancestry is pointed out.  On the personal, group and ethnic level, looking <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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for reasons to be insulted makes you <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>look pathologically insecure.  <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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\"tiny  When the press or the pols say “He’s Italian, he’s Italian, <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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and so is Justice <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>Scalia,” the response from NIAF should be, <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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“Yes, and ain’t that grand!”  <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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Until Sam Alito lets us know that he considers “Scalito” <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>to be a fine <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN>sobriquet, and Antonin Scalia concurs in adopting the <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT>portmanteau, <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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let’s shelve it and get to the merits of this nomination.  Crybabies and <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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namecallers shouldn’t be directing this show.<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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p.s.<\/STRONG><\/EM>  I disagree with NIAF<\/A> and with BMG<\/EM>‘s David Kravitz<\/A> that<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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it would be anti-semitic to use similar wordplay linking the <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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names of Jewish judges who are seen as <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>ideologically-close.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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The fact that some observers might call it<\/EM> anti-semitic is not <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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persuasive, without more evidence of malicious intent.  Pointing <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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out that two smart and successful judges happen to be both <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Jewish — or Italian, or Catholic — is not ethnic prejudice.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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[For example: If the hypothetical Judges Greenberg and <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Goldberger were perceived as <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>judicial soul-mates<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>, referring <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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to the <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>pair as <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>“Greenberger” (or even “Cheeseberger” ) might <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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be silly or insulting, but it <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>isn’t <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>on its <\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>face<\/EM> anti-semitic.]<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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first snow<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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what a racket <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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from the geese<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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I know the rules–<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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the wind blows<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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the leaves move<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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still ahead of us<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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the storm<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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we’ve been driving toward<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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  <\/FONT>
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their laughter<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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is not about me<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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but would sound<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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just like that<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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if it was<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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John Stevenson<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>from <\/FONT>Quiet Enough<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/EM><\/A><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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except: “empty bottle” – Upstate Dim Sum<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A>  (2002\/I<\/FONT><\/A>)<\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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                                                                                             “scalitoXGover”<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This grandson of Italy is firmly in the camp of those who would prefer an early burial of the nickname “Scalito” for Judge Samual Alito, at least for purposes of public discourse — not, however, because it is a grave insult to Italian-Americans.  I think it is sufficiently immature, misleading and insulting (to both ends of the portmanteau — Scalia and Alito), to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-15F","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12938,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4195\/revisions\/12938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}