"Firsts". Real or Fabricated

[DGS49]

When I was a kid, one of the more interesting sports developments was the anticipation of the first 4-minute mile. The world record for the mile run had been creeping downward forever, but no one had been able to get to the magical 3:59.9. Then Roger Bannister did it. He was the first and will remain in the record books forever. A small army of runners shortly equalled and surpassed his record, but he was the FIRST. Sports furnishes a long list of Firsts that are memorable, even if they were followed by others who did the same or better.

There is a significance to be a "first." It is something to be proud of and often results in your name being written in history, forever.

But there is a difference in being a First for some tangible accomplishment and being a First for some other reason. We are now seeing a barrage of POC's being feted as "firsts" when it is not appropriate at all.

The first Black person to achieve 1600 SAT scores can be proud. The first POC to be elected to a high public office is significant. The first Native American congressperson can be proud. The first POC to start a business that exceeds a high dollar value in either sales or price can be proud.

But if you are simply appointed to a position because you are a POC, it means nothing. It is not an accomplishment for YOU, but rather for the person who appointed you. And whether it is an accomplishment at all is determined by your performance in that appointed position. I would suggest that K. Harris, the first Black female Vice President is an example of a First that is a nullity. She was appointed, and is doing badly in office, thus proving that her appointment was a mistake. The honorable KBJ, soon to be the first Black female Supreme Court Justice has demonstrated nothing further than being a pretty nice person in her hearings, and there is no indication that she will be anything more than just another knee-jerk Leftist on the Court.

Making a Big Deal of her being the FIRST justice of her demographic is absurd. She has accomplished nothing. Maybe she will later, but for now, bupkis.

 

[Canon Shooter]

But if you are simply appointed to a position because you are a POC, it means nothing. It is not an accomplishment for YOU, but rather for the person who appointed you.

 

[rightwinger]

OK
Fair standard

So was Jackie Robinson the First Black Ballplayer or Fabricated?
Was Sandra Day O’Connor the First Woman on SCOTUS or Fabricated?
Was Neil Armstrong the First Man on the Moon or Fabricated?

 

[JoeMoma]

So was Jackie Robinson the First Black Ballplayer or Fabricated?

You seemed to miss the point made by the OP. If Jackie Robinson had been selected to be the First Black Player in Major League Baseball to "check the box" and not because he was qualified, then it would be Fabricated (by the OP's definition). If he had been selected based on qualifications (which do not include that he was black) then it is real. Obviously, Jackie Robinson was selected because he was a great baseball player regardless of his color.

If being a POC (Pick your minority) is the qualification by which the person is selected and the person is lacking in the real qualifications to do the job, then it is fabricated.

If Sandra Day O'Conner was picked simply because she was a woman and not due to her qualifications, then it is fabricated. My Opinion: often time in political appointments it is a gray area between real and fabricated. So for SDO it's probably some of both. Regan wanted to get the Place in History for putting the first lady on the court.


Neil Armstrong was the very first human on the moon, so he is The First, so obviously not fabricated.

 

[DGS49]

Jackie Robinson is an interesting one to contemplate. There were other "Negro" ballplayers who were apparently better and more well-known, but he was picked because he looked to have the strong personality that would be necessary to take all the heat from players, coaches, and fans, and would be strong enough not to fight back in a counterproductive way.

So maybe he wasn't great due to his being selected, but he was great because of how he filled the figurative shoes that needed to be filled...you might say the OPPOSITE of the former Senator K. Harris (D-Outer Space).

 

[rightwinger]

Obviously, Jackie Robinson was selected because he was a great baseball player regardless of his color.

Branch Rickey was looking for a Negro Ballplayer. Jackie Robinson was not the best Negro player out there but he seemed to be the best to take the abuse and was highly educated

So for SDO it's probably some of both. Regan wanted to get the Place in History for putting the first lady on the court.

Like Biden, Reagan pledged to fill the seat with a woman
So O’Connor was fabricated.

Neil Armstrong was the very first human on the moon, so he is The First, so obviously not fabricated.

Neil Armstrong was one of a dozen qualified Astronauts to be “first”
He was chosen for persona, looks and because he fit the bill

 

[DGS49]

I think Justice O'Connor was inevitable. Women are a major force in the law, and have been for quite a while. It was just a matter of time before some number of women were on the USSC.

Black women? Not so much. Less than 3% of U.S. lawyers are Black women, despite constituting about 7% of the U.S. population.