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A lot of people have asked why I would suggest watching a documentary about Clarence Thomas. Well, here’s why... (1)
To truly understand a person, you have to understand the framework in which they view the world. Clarence’s life was a real struggle. His story is about perseverance and exceptionalism. He’s a true intellectual mind and against all odds given the period he grew up. (2)
I’m afraid we are going to enter a period of time where the people who represent us in this country never face the real struggles like he did. He experienced the worst of racism and so did his family. However, he didn’t let it beat him down. He sought to fix it through law. (3)
Clarence started out deeply religious and became a radical leftist. What changed his life was a Republican who took a chance on him. This Republican defended him every step of the way and saw to it that he had an industrious career. (4)
This Republican defended his intellect. He was called everything imaginable - Uncle Tom, etc. Traitor. I don’t know if the Anita Hill stuff is true, but you should watch what he has to say about the appointment process. It’s painful. It also matters. (5)
Luckily for us, we live in a country where there is supposed to be due process. Thomas was tried by court of public opinion. An accusation came out mysteriously as he was going through his confirmation hearing. The FBI said it didn’t have merit. That ought to count for something?
RBG’s story is also incredible. She literally wouldn’t be on the Supreme Court if it were not for her husband. Neither of these people are tokens. They are both brilliant and they both struggled, but someone along the way recognized this brilliance and lifted them up. (7)
I hear people say they hate Clarence Thomas. I think if you saw this documentary you wouldn’t hate him anymore. You’d understand him as a person and why he’s an originalist. You’d understand why he’s a libertarian. You’d understand his votes. You may not agree with them. (8)
I see Clarence as a very brave man. I hope to meet him someday. I’m thankful for his fight. It had to be so incredibly hard. One to break through out of poverty, to achieve what he did during a time of segregation and to hold his head up high for what he believes. (9)
