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In July 1991, a relatively unknown DC Circuit Court Judge, Clarence Thomas, was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to replace Thurgood Marshall on the United States Supreme Court. Thomas soon realized that the only thing more dangerous than replacing the court’s historical symbols was replacing liberals with conservatives.
As a staunch defender of originalism and conservative jurisprudence, Thomas will become his own icon for conservatives. But liberals seem more concerned with his race than with his rigor. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a leading Democrat, recently launched another openly racist attack on Thomas, but neither the media nor the political establishment condemned the remarks.
Ellison denounced Thomas as a house slave working for white people and likened him to “Stephen,” the despicable character played by Samuel L. Jackson in the film “Django Unchained.” (Jackson himself called Thomas “Uncle Clarence” after the Roe v. Wade Dobbs judgment was overturned). Ellison added that the trial was “unfair” and “needs to be impeached” because he disagreed with Thomas’ conservative views.
Of course, that is nonsense from a constitutional point of view. But what struck me most was the reaction to the statement. Not a single Democrat condemned the racist attack by Minnesota’s top lawyer.
Democrats Compare Judge Clarence Thomas and Domestic Slave Personality
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is not. He has previously falsely declared that hate speech is not constitutionally protected under the First Amendment and has declared himself an advocate against bigotry and racist rhetoric.
Not from Senior Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has repeatedly denounced Republican racist tropes and rhetoric.
Not from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He duly condemned Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville’s comments on white nationalism, but did not comment on the racist attacks on Thomas that same week.
Not from President Joe Biden, who has repeatedly denounced racist rhetoric and “norms” by the Republican Party.
Indeed, the day Ellison’s comments were broadcast nationally, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went to the press room and lashed out at Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for remarks suggesting that the new coronavirus might have been created to save Jews and Chinese. Jean-Pierre declared that it was “intrinsically important to speak up” when such racist or anti-Semitic comments were made, but then made no mention of the racist attack on Thomas, who was nothing more than a house slave.
Thomas knew that being a conservative black jurist would not be easy when he was named a judge. Thomas replaced Robert Bork on the DC circuit. Mr. Bork also came under heavy attack when he was nominated as a member of the jury. In fact, “failure” is now the technical term for discarding a candidate in the approval process.
Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment, making Thomas’ endorsement a battle royale. What happened next was famously described by Thomas as “a high-tech lynching against good blacks who are somehow meant to think for themselves, act for themselves, and think differently.”
The attacks on Thomas never ended. His very presence on the court seems to have resented liberals who constantly mention his race. One Democrat in the Georgia Senate called him “Uncle Tom,” who “sold his soul to a slave master.”
The Smithsonian Institution’s African American Museum even ignored Thomas in its opening selection of Great African Americans, despite being the second African American to be appointed to the Supreme Court. (His accuser, Anita Hill, actually spoke out at the Senate confirmation hearing.) It was only after public outcry that the Smithsonian turned down Thomas’ participation.
The media has relentlessly continued its hostile and one-sided coverage of Thomas. While the liberal judge’s background has been flooded with articles, there has been a virtual blackout of Thomas’ amazing life, truly one of the most moving accounts of overcoming life’s possible obstacles.
Thomas was born on the Georgian coast in Pinpoint, Georgia, and grew up speaking the Gullah language, a Creole dialect. He grew up in a one-room hut with no floors, no plumbing, and no father. When he was finally sent to a Catholic school, he had to learn to read and write English. He overcame racism and prejudice to attend Holy Cross College and was offered admission to Yale, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He became chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1982 and became a federal appeals judge, making him the second African-American to join the court.
Few of these critics would have been able to follow this man’s path from Pinpoint to Capitol. He did so by being his own person, by relying on his convictions and intelligence to face the seemingly insurmountable barriers in front of him.
About 32 years ago, Thomas objected to the treatment of “good black” legal scholars who think for themselves. Others have also made his point. For years, commentators have pitched Mr. Thomas as a candidate in the conservative majority. Now, in the face of more blatant and racist attacks, the political and media establishments are again silent.
Ironically, Steven hated Django in the film because he didn’t give in to the demands of the white owner.Django defiantly admitted that he was “that person” [black man] To the liberal establishment, Thomas was a threat others might imitate. That’s why other black leaders, like South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, have constantly faced racist tropes from the left, including Maryland delegate Gabriel Acevero, who said, “Tim Scott is not naive, he’s trying to please white people.”
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The painful irony is that Thomas is the polar opposite of Steven’s character. He has always refused to yield to the demands of others on how he should think as a jurist because of his race.
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This attack aims to prevent other people from even considering conservative or liberal ideas. Mr. Ellison has long emphasized intimidation as a political weapon. He has previously praised the ultra-violent group Antifa for helping to “plant fear in the hearts” of Trump and Republicans.
Of course, Django has all righteous wrath as a license for the most extreme actions.
That’s why Ellison might have had the right movie, but the wrong character. It’s called Django Syndrome. When you become a “one in ten thousand” unyielding person, you become an obsessive rather than just a nuisance.
Editor’s Note: This essay first appeared on the author’s blog. Res ipsa loquitur – speaks for itself.
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