Thomas writes, on average, thirty-four opinions a year—more than any other Justice. Despite that, the only things most Americans know about him are that he was once accused of sexual harassment and that he almost never speaks from the bench.
Oof! That cut me; those were definitely the only two things I knew about Clarence Thomas before reading this article.
The Autobiography of Malcom X was one of the most world-rocking things I've ever read. I found it in high school. Like The Fountainhead, it was never assigned to me, I just found it and read it on my own, and I think that ended up making it even more powerful. I remember thinking: Oh, so this is what's going down in the real world.
Conversations about affirmative action would be so much more interesting if the proponents would just be willing to acknowledge the few very clear, very concrete way that affirmative action is f*cked. Sorry for the foul language -- and I'm not saying to throw the baby out with the bathwater! --but there won't be any progress until we can loosen up the conversation and get more honest. I've seen and experienced those downsides. I've seen what affirmative action does to Ivy League whites. It gives them a justifiable reason to believe that they're the ones rising above the odds.
FYI: I just thought-typed that post about two minutes after finishing the article. These are fresh/raw thoughts versus fully-formed opinions. On matters of race, I'm ten times more curious than I am opinionated.
I feel like the 10:1 ratio of curiosity to opinions is a good balance in general. My main takeaway from Thomas' vision is that there isn't ever just a single correct philosophy, let alone law or policy implementation, for any given problem. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard, especially someone like Thomas who has lived his whole life experiencing racism in all its forms and been directly affected by actions meant to correct for it.
Great article! Reading it made me eager to read the books and other articles on Thomas cited throughout.
I remember reading about him breaking his 10 year streak of silence back in 2016 when he asked the US attorney in Voisine v. United States to name any other instance where a misdemeanor violation could result in a permanent suspension of a constitutional right. Must have been quite a shock to be on the receiving end of that questioning.
In looking up that exchange I also just learned that he had a "Yale Sucks" bumper sticker on the mantle in his chambers which is quite understandable after reading this article. The elitism of ivy-league colleges and the concept of "legacy preference" are both reprehensible.
This is the hook that got me:
Oof! That cut me; those were definitely the only two things I knew about Clarence Thomas before reading this article.
The Autobiography of Malcom X was one of the most world-rocking things I've ever read. I found it in high school. Like The Fountainhead, it was never assigned to me, I just found it and read it on my own, and I think that ended up making it even more powerful. I remember thinking: Oh, so this is what's going down in the real world.
Conversations about affirmative action would be so much more interesting if the proponents would just be willing to acknowledge the few very clear, very concrete way that affirmative action is f*cked. Sorry for the foul language -- and I'm not saying to throw the baby out with the bathwater! --but there won't be any progress until we can loosen up the conversation and get more honest. I've seen and experienced those downsides. I've seen what affirmative action does to Ivy League whites. It gives them a justifiable reason to believe that they're the ones rising above the odds.
Good lord. What a mess we're in. :'(
FYI: I just thought-typed that post about two minutes after finishing the article. These are fresh/raw thoughts versus fully-formed opinions. On matters of race, I'm ten times more curious than I am opinionated.
I feel like the 10:1 ratio of curiosity to opinions is a good balance in general. My main takeaway from Thomas' vision is that there isn't ever just a single correct philosophy, let alone law or policy implementation, for any given problem. Everyone deserves to have their voice heard, especially someone like Thomas who has lived his whole life experiencing racism in all its forms and been directly affected by actions meant to correct for it.
Excellent points.
Fascinating. Really made me think about what I believe and the origins of those beliefs.
Great article! Reading it made me eager to read the books and other articles on Thomas cited throughout.
I remember reading about him breaking his 10 year streak of silence back in 2016 when he asked the US attorney in Voisine v. United States to name any other instance where a misdemeanor violation could result in a permanent suspension of a constitutional right. Must have been quite a shock to be on the receiving end of that questioning.
In looking up that exchange I also just learned that he had a "Yale Sucks" bumper sticker on the mantle in his chambers which is quite understandable after reading this article. The elitism of ivy-league colleges and the concept of "legacy preference" are both reprehensible.