Will diabetes derail Sonia Sotomayor’s chance to become a Supreme Court justice?

Sonia Sotomayor has been named as a potential favorite to fill the upcoming Supreme Court opening.

But she has type I diabetes, and diabetes blogger Amy Tenderich discusses whether this will work against her.

As she puts it, this can be a ground-breaking decision, “where survivorship with chronic illness meets the glass ceiling.” There are arguments in the blogosphere back and forth, but Ms. Tenderich raises some interesting points.

For instance, when wondering if the position of Supreme Court Justice fall under the American Disabilities Act, she wonders whether it would be “discrimination to withhold a position from someone because they *might* someday have complications that could threaten their health?”

In any case, given that many diabetics live long, full lives with the proper treatment, there should be no reason why the condition should be a factor in whether Sotomayer receives the nomination or not.

Update:
I wrote this post last week, but Obama has just announced that Sotomayor is the pick.

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