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One True Supreme Court Justice
Why is it so hard to get more than one or two real Supreme Court Justices at a time? Last week, Justice Thomas gave a stirring speech, a model of a classic American. Some excerpts:
“What had given my life meaning and sense of belonging, that this country was my home, was jettisoned as old-fashioned and antiquated. … It was easy and convenient to fill that void with victimhood. … So much of my time focused intently on our racial differences and grievances, much like today.”
“As I matured, I began to see that the theories of my young adulthood were destructive and self-defeating. … I had rejected my country, my birthright as a citizen, and I had nothing to show for it.”
“The wholesomeness of my childhood had been replaced with an emptiness, cynicism, and despair. I was faced with the simple fact that there was no greater truth than what my nuns and grandparents had taught me. We are all children of God and rightful heirs to our nation’s legacy of equality. We had to live up to the obligations of the equal citizenship to which we were entitled by birth.”
“ [I became] deeply interested in the Declaration of Independence.”
“The declaration captured what I had been taught to venerate as a child but had cynically rejected as a young man. All men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”
“As I had rediscovered the God-given principles of the declaration and our founding, I eventually returned to the [Catholic] Church, which had been teaching the same truths for millennia.”
“…there are many more of us, I think, who feel America is not so broken, as it is adrift at sea.”
“For whatever it is worth, the Declaration of Independence has weathered every storm for 245 years. It birthed a great nation. It abolished the sin of slavery. … While we have failed the ideals of the declaration time and again, I know of no time when the ideals have failed us.”
“It establishes a moral ideal that we as citizens are duty-bound to uphold and sustain. We may fall short, but our imperfection does not relieve us of our obligation.”
Watch the whole thing.
Published in Law
I must read the Declaration again and again.
Great post.
A simple truth. :-)
I have followed this man’s career for a few decades. He got the Bostonians angry when he said at one point during his tenure as chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 1982 through 1990, that he thought women, as a group, actually had it worse in the workplace than blacks did. That’s why Anita Hill’s story did not ring true for me. I’ll never understand why the women’s movement went after him the way they did. He was never anything but a good friend to them.
When I was involved as volunteer in middle and high schools with teenagers, I was deeply concerned about how many kids we were losing. They simply didn’t feel connected to the people at school, and they just stopped working. One morning around that time, on NPR, I heard a portion of a talk Thomas had recently given to teenagers about how to become independent and even successful. He said, “You build your life one brick at a time. You’ll see, you’ll get there.” I was moved by his sincerity.
Thank you for posting this speech.
Now that I think about it, laughing, I remember my husband telling me that quite a few guys in his office thought Thomas deserved the Anita Hill mess: “He wrote the stupid law to begin with!” :-) :-)
Why would we listen to him. I have been told he is a racist and a race traitor to boot.
I don’t accept what I have been told and I don’t think you do either.
Sadly much of the country does. It is accepted fact by most of America
Put his autobiography (with signs of wear from thorough reading) in a place of honor where people can observe that some of us do think he is worth listening to.
You should bear in mind that anyone using the term “race traitor” is inextricably a racist.
He’s the black face of white supremacy /sarc meter pegged at 100 ;-)
There aren’t too many true heroes left in this world – this man is one.
In all seriousness he is one of the greatest judicial minds of our times. I do not always agree with his rulings but when I read them I understand his points. Sadly our great men are getting old and will be leaving us too soon.
The left has no friends, just tools to use and abuse. As VDH just said in a podcast, they have passions not compassion.
Yes! I’m an old man, and don’t have too many heroes left, but Clarence Thomas is certainly a hero of our times. Everyone should read his memoir, My Grandfather’s Son.
Great leaders show great courage and reasoning…his clarity of thought and reasoning are tremendous and he has a backbone of Adamantium and Vibranium alloy
One of the truly great bios.
https://amzn.to/2XTkhiZ
The C-Span video kept freezing up on me. Dug around and found the same on the ND Center for Citizenship & Constitutional Gov. website and YouTube channel.
What a remarkable justice. Reportedly, George W. Bush met with him and asked him about being elevated to Chief Justice. Justice Thomas declined, given his initial confirmation.
It is accepted AS fact . . .
Do you have a source by any chance? Thanks, Gary.
Thank you for the links.
Growing up as a teenager in the 80s, dang that’s hard to say out loud, the world was a mighty different place. Experiencing this decade in my formative years, it’s not up for debate that it left an indelible impression…but hey, I met my wife of 28 years so it wasn’t all bad influences (I can only speak for myself; Mrs. hoowitts might beg to differ)
Two things were cemented for me experiencing the shameful character assassination of Robert Bork, followed shortly thereafter by the denigration and attempted, public high-tech lynching, sans noose, of one Clarence Thomas (both seemingly dress rehearsals for Brett Cavanaugh):
1. Democrats in general, and specifically Joseph R Biden, have no boundaries when it comes to their political appetites. They are voracious and employ any “means to an end” with reckless abandon. Once dialed-in, their moral compass is more screwed up than Jack Sparrow’s. Although conservatives are not without black sheep, this posture runs antithetical to conservative ethos and is simultaneously our most substantial strength and weakness.
2. Clarence Thomas’ steely resolve during that confirmation was phenomenally inspirational. As a kid growing up in southwestern Virginia, race plays out differently than in an urban setting. I had a wonderful father but during that confirmation, Mr. Thomas taught me what it meant to be a man of courage, convicted by principles; refusing to be cowed or silenced when that would have been the easy way out, even expected. As I expressed earlier, without equivocation I am in awe of his intellect, demeanor and stature as sophist, jurist and extraordinary human being.
Confession: I have never found forgiveness for Biden even as my faith asks it of me. In this regard I can somewhat empathize with TDS, recognizing my own BDS, but Biden’s recidivist and pernicious nature compels me to contemptuousness. I am comforted that Paul disclosed his thorn (2 Corinthians 12:7b). If I only had but one.
Our John Yoo was a law clerk for Thomas, and wrote about W’s consideration of Thomas for Chief Justice. However, it went to far to say that it was specifically offered to Thomas. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jan-05-oe-yoo5-story.html
Mark, no words could better describe this truly great American, who is, with President Reagan, one of the true icons of my life as an American. We were fortunate enough, through our activity in a national legal organization, The American Inns of Court, to personally hear him speak on two occasions, and on one of those, a conference of some kind in Houston as I recall, to spend a little time with the Justice. I have shared this story before, some time ago, on Ricochet, and to those who have already heard it, I apologize in advance, but I was moved by Mark’s post to share again what an amazing person this One True Supreme Justice is, as we saw him that evening. On both occasions, he gave heartfelt speeches, as he always does, as his inner American citizenship is so deep in his very being, he could not give any other kind when speaking of his beloved Nation and its Founding Principles. After the meeting in Houston wrapped up, there was the usual line of well-wishers waiting to at least shake Justice Thomas’ hand and maybe even say a brief word or two. Well, the line went on forever, for a very good reason, and that reason was that Justice Thomas took a huge amount of time speaking to each and every person as long as they wanted to linger with him! Think of the politicians you have seen at these functions who have the “right hand pass along” maneuver down pat and that would describe the very opposite of Justice Thomas, who thoroughly enjoyed “visiting”, as we Southerners call it, with each and every one who wanted to spend time talking with him. My Lady and I so enjoyed our time chatting with Justice Thomas and here is one of the main features of this great man which stand out in my memory: he had the most raucous, loud, sincere laugh you have ever heard and, as I recall, My Lady regaled him with one of her family’s trademark stories about “life down on the Bayou” which he had a big laugh over. We can tell you, Mark, as some of those who have had the immense good fortune to see what he really is, this is one of the Great Americans of our time, and we so appreciate your sharing that speech with all of us. If you ever met him, you would understand our revulsion at those who have slandered his good name and character over and over again, like– well, The current occupant of the Office of the President of the United States.. who is not even quantifiable on the scale of The Hon. Clarence Thomas. Sincerely, Jim
Thank you.
Thank you so much, Jim. My pleasure. And thanks for the sublime story.
Supremely well put. I watched those hearings, and was just in awe of how Clarence Thomas was able to keep his composure (and temper) during those scurrilous attacks by Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats.
Biden earned it. I’m not sure Trump did.
I met Bork and would love to meet Thomas. His autobiography is a great book. Someone once noted that there is a big scholarly difference between conservative justices and the square fillers the left selects. I might add that Roberts will not be one of ours whose heritage will be scholarly quotes.
The 1st Monday in October approaches. In honor of that memorable day, I recommend a great Mathau movie by that name. He is a grouch, in true Mathau fashion, who must accept the addition of the first woman to the Supreme Court. Ironically, its release and the addition of Sandra Day O’Connor were a coincidence.
Thank you for keeping me honest, and reminding me to be more careful. John Yoo’s article about Justice Thomas who he clerked for a classic, and I would not have read it if I weren’t put to the test. MarciN, you have a future in journalism.
I just wanted to be absolutely sure it was true before I gave it as much thought as I’d like to.
I would have loved to have seen Justice Thomas be the chief justice. Also, it says something to me about 41 and 43.
Thank you again for finding it.
Thanks again for alerting us to this invaluable discussion. I watched the entire video last night and posted my experience on my personal blog, jimgeorge.substack.com (to which all are, of course, cordially invited), and my ruminations may be found here. It is my hope they merit your imprimatur and, at the risk of beating that poor old dead horse, I can’t thank you enough for your post.
Our experiences upon meeting Justice Thomas are set forth in #22 and also at my personal blog where my post on The Great Justice and this video can be accessed here. Truly the experience of a lifetime!