Clarence Thomas: Nobody Knows the Trouble He's Seen

You have to feel sorry for the judge. Like George Bush he has failed upwards until the poor guy is now hopelessly out of his league. Unlike our president, however, he doesn't have to pretend to understand the complexities of his job for just eight years and then retire to the back nine. Poor Clarence is stuck there for life. He seems caught in some sort of chilling Twilight Zone episode, cursed for what he wished for. His new memoir, My Grandfather's Son,"is yet another sad chapter in his lifetime of self-hate.

Am I being too hard or condescending on what should be one of the wisest people in the nation? How else do you explain his terror of asking a single question from the bench? His excuse is that the other justices "talk too much."

It's called doing their job.

They arrive with questions that need to be answered, instead of dogma that needs to be adhered to. Justice Thomas is clearly that terrified kid in every class that knows that if he opens his mouth everyone will realize that he didn't understand today's lesson. Instead of being a beacon of pride for young black kids that, like him, might have been raised in poverty, he is an embarrassment.

His supporters point to his writings, but back in his chambers he is backed up by clerks who are some of our very smartest legal minds. Kato Kaelin could sign off on their briefs and sound like he knew what he was talking about.

George Bush the First's appointment of a black man who was patently unqualified to the highest bench is exactly what affirmative action is not supposed to be about. The point is to open up gatekeepers like elite law schools and medical schools. Once the students graduate, however, they, and every other job applicant has to rise to a certain standard. My sister is a heart surgeon. Nobody is going to let her cut somebody open just to fill a quota. She has to be excellent at what she does. The bar for a lifetime appointment to our highest bench should have been just as high.

My mom went to Yale law school a few years after Thomas, after having graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard. She was a thirty-five-year-old black mother of two teenaged kids. She knew she was brilliant, the best of the best, and thrilled at debating the other students. She never once said, "Oh, I'm only here because they needed a brown body. I really belong at the DeVry College of Law."

And that's how she raised me. Old school. Yes, racism still exists, she would tell me. So a B+ might do for the white boys, but you have to be that much better. How pathetic is it that Clarence Thomas writes that he graduated from Yale Law School with his head hanging low, convinced that the world knew that his diploma came with an asterisk of inferiority? When my mom's friends graduated they burst out of law school ready to kick ass and take names.

The most odious part of Thomas's memoir is his continued insistence that his contentious confirmation hearings elevate him to the canon of tragic black heroes like Native Son's Bigger Thomas and To Kill a Mockingbird's Tom Robinson. As Jane Meyer and Jill Abramson clearly demonstrate in their book, Strange Justice, Anita Hill was only one of several and Thomas, now one of the nine highest judges in our nation, lied repeatedly during his confirmation hearings. The bitterness that seems to be eating away at him and spews out of this book might stem from the fact that he was the head of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission while he was sexually harassing Anita Hill and he is now sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America because he lied his ass off in the United States Senate.

Comments

[anne1]

One could get the idea that Thomas's entire career and life was a set up by racist whites to discredit not only affirmative action, but all Black Americans.
His entire post-college career is appointments by Republicans, deliberately searching for the the least qualified and least capable African American seat warmer for a position. And Clarence could always be counted to lower the bar further. His intense delusional hatred, against himself, women, and other African Americans was just a special bonus.
Everytime he had the opportunity to remove that "stigma of affirmative action" that so burdens him, by doing excellent, or at least acceptable, work. Instead he chose extreme laziness and incompetence, sexual harrassment and denigration of the Black women unfortunate to work in his vicinity, and to nurse paranoic grudges. This book and his recent appearances only continue his life long pattern.

[lodger]

Clarence the cross-eyed Justice is bitter, shallow, and slow-witted; dude won't say a word during High Deliberations, and it took him two decades to put together a book about his shame at getting a lifetime appointment to The Vatican US Court! Pity the Poor Fool!

[arethabaez]

Though I'm not a fan of Harry Belafonte's "Most Hated Thing" (CT) either,I still wonder what kind of grades he received at Yale or if he received any great accolades prior to his nomination to the Supreme Court. There must be something outstanding he did, anybdy know? Anne, as sick as it sounds, your white racist theory almost sounds plauseable. One never hears anything highly complimentary about his work, even from Repbublicans.

[Trittydi]

Really well expressed sentiments, thank you.

You find room in your heart to pity him. I'm not sure I feel as generous toward him. My reasons are that because of his lies, he is powerful enough to harm others who depend on our legal system to protect them.

I also view his self-pity as his justification for the rigid, hateful rulings he participates in. I think he is extremely vengeful and intends for anyone with liberal leanings to pay for his own poor self-opinion and self-loathing.

The saddest part of this is that the best he can hope for in his life's work will not be a sense of great accomplishment and admired judicial impact. He can only hope for his revenge - petty as it is - it is all he can aspire to and certainly all he has within his grasp.
*

[robinhood1]

Affirmatve action for white people gave the country GWB. He certainly didn't get into either Yale or Harvard, or his subsequent executive jobs, based on his abilities. I guess being the son of a well connected white person still helps in this country. Affirmative action for black people got Thomas to the Supreme Court. In neither case was the most qualified white (for president) or black (for Supreme Court justice) chosen. But that's how affirmative action works. And everyone pays for it. But in GWB's case, the price that we pay will be much, much higher.

[PaHairO]

"Affirmatve action for white people gave the country GWB"

OUTSTANDING, RH1. Spot on.

[DrVandy]

Sad but true. Mr. Ellis you nailed it. Clarence Thomas is patently unqualified for his job and now appears to suffer from fear of negative evaluation which prevents him from offering any questions or insights from the bench. He is a sad, angry paranoid man and an embarrassment as a judge. More pathetic is that he still believes his failures are the result of injustices done to him. Sad indeed.

[justice4juveniles]

I may be wrong here, but at least where he is, he is in the minority, whereas when he was a sitting judge somewhere in an American court, he had the power. I think to some degree, the American people have been protected from this pathetic man. Does that make any sense? It seems he could do alot more damage on his own, then in the minority where he sits now.

[rmreddicks]

I don't think gwb used Affirmative Action. He used Poppy. Just preferential action.

[astockton]

Clarence has no sense of judicial decorum. Long before he wrote his new book, in fact soon after he was confirmed and sworn in, he cooperated with People magazine in producing a typical (for People) fluffy cover story. The cover photo showed the Thomases wrapped around each other and Clarence grinning like a minstrel.

Virginia Thomas offered her theory of why Anita Hill had made her "false" accusations: she had been in love with Clarence and he'd spurned her. Virginia claimed to be very knowledgeable about sexual harassment because, she said, she herself had been a victim.

Loved the letter which People received: "How are we to know that Mrs. Thomas was not in love with her harasser?"

[MoreMoxie]

No one has mentioned the towering sexism and self involvement of his continuing claim that "liberal elites" aimed the most devastating claim it could at a black man, saying he was out of line sexually. (By the way Jan Greenburg of ABC News has a piece where she acts as nothing more than Thomas's mouthpiece for this nonsense.) The whole rhetoric depends both on erasing Anita Hill as a black person and even as a human being and erasing the whole experience of black women, who have been treated as sexual subjects by all men, starting in slavery and continuing to this day, when a woman of Anita Hill's distinction can be harassed and then villified for telling the truth. Thomas relies on a verbal trick that equates black men with the black race and erases women. Not a good thing, and weird that in the coverage, to a good degree, they are letting him repeat the destructive assault on the human dignity of black women.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Maybe the Madison Square Garden sexual harassment case will someday come before Thomas on appeal.

[DrVandy]

Moxie,
completely agree.

[StillAmused]

Clarence is one extremely pissed-off human being.

[Semper]

I must of missed the 60 minutes Show that most of these bloggers were looking at. I thought Thomas was interesting, tough, and his own man. At least he is true to the American values. The Constitution which is being stepped on my many Americans. He is undeniablly his own man. Most justices are their own person, whether you like them or not. I have no problems with Thomas, you are just not going to get very much from him. And looking at the court, what can you expect. Don't jump on him, do your part and get off you ass and participate in the American process. The problem with this country is that most of us are out there playing too much golf, siting back and waiting for someone to lead us. Well sorry folks, there in not free lunch, we all have to work until our last breath. Stop the crying and get going.

[nihilon x]

"Don't jump on him, do your part and get off you ass and participate in the American process.."

That doesn't matter when your justices don't care about your votes.

--

"About 10 p.m. EST on December 12, the United States Supreme Court handed down its ruling in favor of Bush by a 5–4 vote, effectively ending the legal review of the vote count with Bush in the lead.

This ruling stopped the vote recount, allowing Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris to certify the election results.

This allowed Florida's electoral votes to be cast for Bush, making him the winner. Seven of the nine Justices agreed that the lack of unified standards in counting votes violated the Constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the laws, but five agreed that there was insufficient time to impose a unified standard and that the recounts should therefore be stopped."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election%2C_2000_Florida_results

--

Insufficient time to determine the TRUTH about who the American people want to be our President? Insufficient time to determine who will lead this country for at least the next four years?

There was simply NO defense for that decision -- none whatsoever.

And we all see how that turned out in the end.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Huzzah.

[FreedomCorpse]

Yes. One of the most damaging judicial decisions ever made in the history of the country. "Insufficient time" ... by who's clock?

[timinhi]

Semper: You lost me with "I must of..." There's "I must have" and "I must've," but NOT "I must of." That and the remainder of the numerous grammatical and spelling errors in your post demonstrate why it is so important for the science- and "elite" education-hating rightwing apologists who post on this site (discussing such heady issues as constitutional law and the Supreme Court) to work hard and finish school, unlike their famous dropout heroes, Rush Limbaugh & Glen Beck.

[levibatgirl]

The "many Americans" stepping on our Constitution you speak of are none other than this administration put in place by the Supreme Court.

You trivialize peoples thoughts about Judge Thomas and the rest of them by praising him for being "his own man". Expectations of the ones who hold high and powerful positions should go way beyond that.

I won't even go into your claim itself as being false anyway. Thomas is nothing more than a right wing tool and a hack!

Your "no free lunch" cliche' couldn't be more tired and misleading. Tool!

[TellitLikeItIs]

Yes, levibatgirl, that was my first thought, as well. The pResident and his appointees are the ones' who's "stepped on the constitution" until it's nearly been ground into dust! Give me a f.ing break, Semper!

The fact that Clarence Thomas was appointed to the SCOTUS is the real injustice that has occurred. Why did the 1st Bush administration nominate Thomas, when there were, no doubt, many qualified and distinguished African-American candidates they could have chosen? Easy---- they knew Clarence would come in handy to them at some point, which was evidenced in Bush v/Gore. Refresh my memory--- how many of the justices who voted to appoint Bush to the Presidency were appointed by Regan and Bush I? 5-4......w­hat a "coincidence"!

[thos]

Well said!

[cave17]

Any idiot can "be his own man," so what's your point? It's a meaningless phrase, like "we're all entitled to our opinion." Interesting how certain fact-challenged right-wing ideologues habitually "argue" by asserting the irrelevant, beg the question, turn up the volume and then beam with ignorant bliss.

[MinneapolisBob]

Putting all of Judge Thomas' rulings and ideology aside: his lack of inquisitiveness by not asking questions from the bench overshadows everthing he has done or stands for.

The greatest moment of his appointment so far, was his complete silence during the 2000 Gore/Bush election decision. It was proven people from his own race were disenfranchised, but he did not even show his dissatisfaction that citizens of his country were denied their constitutional right to vote; much less people of his own race were dismissed from the polls.

Clarence Thomas has used "the ladder" the likes of Thurgood Marshall and MLK set in place for him to climb. But instead of adding rungs to that ladder for those coming after him (primarily people of color) to reach new heights, he has gotten to the top and kicked "the ladder" away.

He is acting like an angry white man trapped in a black man's body.

[yaznaioutibia]

Very good. I am just a regular guy with no law degree or even law knowledge and I have a hobby of looking at the Supreme Court schedule and in as short a time as possible, lets say 2 minutes, I try to guess how Clarence and Antonin will vote on any particualr issue. Try it, its fun. As a self proclaimed idiot, I am batting about 98 per cent. So what is the big mystique on being a supreme court justice. For all of their knowledge and intrigue, most of us can guess how they will vote on any issue. It is simple politics. Just think, how would the idiot son of an asshole vote on this particular issue, and you will be right on.

[Misanthrope2]

Works for me.

[ktm66]

Clarence Thomas is a mockery of all that Thurgood Marshall stood for.

[AurigaRa]

Women believe Anita because that same shit happened to us on college campuses and at work. We often shrugged it off, but knew that if someone who harassed us was up for SCOTUS we would tell the world.

Thomas does not deserve to be on the court. We knew he lied then and still know it.

He is a sorry fool.

[Epijim]

C.T. wasn't /isn't qualified to be a traffic court judge, let alone a Supreme Court Judge!

[Marnie1]

"When my mom's friends graduated they burst out of law school ready to kick ass and take names."
Gotta love that line. It's a terrific outlook on life. And I bet there's not a boring moment in their lives.

Anita Hill is a thousand times over the man that Thomas is.
Maybe the Dem's should run her for Pres.
Brains and Balls and a very classy lady.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

I heard about 20 minutes of Justice Thomas this AM while driving to work. Trying to be fair here...

The interview was all background and softball questions by long-time acquaintance Armstrong Williams (?), but I was struck by how self-absorbed Thomas was.

His life experiences affected his self-view much more than his world-view. His vision of the future is acceptance of the past.

While he was philosophical about his experiences growing up as a black man in America, and as a former Catholic seminarian, I did not hear anything about how those experiences inspired him to help others. Instead he emphasized how he learned to let go of anger, stop dwelling on the negatives -- in segregation, of all things -- etc.

His apocryphal moment came after being at a big demonstration (riot?, I forgot), he passed a church and was overcome with a sense of calm, and acceptance of fate.

Not once did I hear him say, "These experiences inspired me to fight for justice for those who had been treated unjustly." Nope. More like, "People just have to let it go."

Religiousl­y-grounded zen in the face of injustice.

Clearly, from the reviews of Thomas's book, he only fakes the zen sh*t for patsy interviews. Inside, he's a bitter and fatalistic man. Give Scalia two votes and send Thomas to anger management.

[aardvarx]

Actually, if i have my stats correct, he was the least qualified justice appointed in the 20th century. It's even more insulting that he was chosen to replace Thurgood Marshall. What a slap in the face to Black people.

[nihilon x]

"What a slap in the face to Black people."

No -- it was a slap in the face to Americans.

These aren't just "black" issues we are discussing here -- these are American issues that affect all of us.

[arethabaez]

Fill us in, what were his stats, grades etc?

[Giglawyer]

There is probably no greater rags to riches story in the Country than that of Clarence Thomas. Those who hate him are clouded by their ideology. He is fully qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

That's an odd comment to make ABOUT an idealogue.

[OutragedMom]

I hope you were being facetious.

[YellerDawg]

Clarence "Uncle" Thomas's PR offensive is both offensive and beneath the dignity of a sitting justice on the highest court in the land.

[deleweye]

"...no greater rags to riches story..."?

For the most obvious refutation of your absurd comment, Google "Thurgood Marshall".

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Huzzah.

[Leper]

If, by fully qualified, you mean that he was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, then I would agree with you.

If, on the other hand, you mean he is qualified the way Michael Brown was qualified to run FEMA, then I think the evidence overwhelmingly shows what disasters both of them turned out to be.

[mikeinwaco]

Clarence Thomas will eventually, if not already, realize that his book and signing tour, rather than make him out to be the victim of a "high tech lynching" or rebuild his suspect reputation, will ultimately reveal, for all time, the real Clarence Thomas -- one who WOULD revel in promo videos, who WOULD sexually harass underlings at the EOE, who WOULD lie to Senators at his confirmation hearings, who WOULD harbor deep-seated resentment of fellow blacks of lighter color, and who WOULD grovel for symathy and undeserved reappraisal from his many critics, and who IS one of the worst appointments ever made to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the reserved, soft-spoken little lady who dared to speak out, will forever remain an icon for women sexually harassed in the workplace and all those who put principle before self.

[jbcowan]

Mike: Well Said. Going a step further, I suggest his comments should DISQUALIFY him from the Supreme Court....t­his man cannot be objective. No Way !