Letter: Roberts’ views are too narrow

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 | 9:16 a.m.

Judge John Roberts, the nominee for chief justice of the Supreme Court, is smart, articulate and nice looking. Unfortunately, those are not good enough qualifications to decide issues that will affect every American for the rest of his life.

The White House refuses to release documents that would clear up troubling positions he has argued relating to women's issues, civil rights, voting rights and privacy matters, and he has not seen fit to answer direct questions during confirmation hearings that would have clarified his positions.

Will he uphold the rights of people, or, since he was once a corporate lobbyist, will corporations come first? This is a lifetime appointment that could mean that his influence might be felt for the next 30 years.

From the few documents that have been made available, it would seem that he has a narrow ideological view that is definitely not mainstream. With the passage of the Patriot Act, the few remaining rights we still have left are even more important to protect. It would seem that John Roberts is the wrong man at the wrong time and he should not be confirmed.

We can't afford to roll back the advances made that guarantee equality and justice for all.

JOANN FISCHELLA