I'm Not Any Kind Of A Bigot,

When I Was Sworn In As A Judge Of The Court Of Appeals, I Took An Oath. I Put My Hand On The Bible And I Swore That I Would Administer Justice Without Respect To Persons, That I Would Do Equal Right To The Poor And To The Rich, And That I Would Carry Out My Duties Under The Constitution And The Laws Of The United States.

My Mother Worked For More Than A Decade Before Marrying. She Went To New York City To Get A Master's Degree. And She Continued To Work As A Teacher And A Principal Until She Was Forced To Retire.both She And My Father Instilled In My Sister And Me A Deep Love Of Learning.

When I Was Growing Up, We Always Had A Big Family Dinner At Around Noon On Sunday. I Still Love That Whenever It Is Possible To Gather The Family Together.

It's Been A Great Honor For Me To Spend My Career In Public Service.

I Have Been Shaped By The Experiences Of The People Who Are Closest To Me, By The Things I've Learned From [my Wife] Martha, By My Hopes And My Concerns For My Children, Philip And Laura, By The Experiences Of Members Of My Family, Who Are Getting Older, By My Sister's Experiences As A Trial Lawyer In A Profession That Has Traditionally Been Dominated By Men.