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Alice Marie Beard's Site
Alice Marie Beard describes in detail a lengthy question-and-answer session that Justice Thomas had with several law students
in 2000, during which Thomas explains his thoughts on the VMI case and his questioning of formulaic jurisprudence.
A Former Clerk Speaks
Arthur Long, who clerked for Justice Thomas, gave a brief lecture at his alma mater St. Bernard's school, in which he described
life at the Supreme Court. He had this to say about Justice Thomas:
"I found working for him to be constant
pleasure. It is unfortunate that Supreme Court Justices must lead such private lives, because glimpses one has of them in
the public sphere can be so misleading, Justice Thomas is a man of great intellectual interests, eager to discuss, for example,
Dickens' Mrs. Jellybelly or the French Revolution. He thinks that all children should learn Latin. He encourages the free
and open discussion of cases among his law clerks, although, as I can well testify, he frequently rejects their recommendations
(while taking great care not to hurt their feelings). He has an extraordinary humility that is extremely refreshing in an
era of increasing pride and self-display. Justice Thomas has a great dedication to the ideals on which this nation was founded
and to the Constitution that embodies those ideals."
Another Clerk's Story
This is an article about 3 Northwestern graduates who did Supreme Court clerkships. One of them -- Wendy (Stone) Long --
clerked for Justice Thomas, and describes briefly her experience. Appended to the end of the article is the story of Wendy
and her husband, Arthur Long, another Thomas clerk.
A FreeRepublic Poster's Story
Some guy posted this heartwarming little anecdote on FreeRepublic.com:
Brushes with greatness, Clarence Thomas
Posted
on 11/30/2000 15:01:07 PST by FoxPro
Clarence Thomas will be hearing an important case tomorrow. It reminds me of
the time, several weeks ago, when my sons and I went to Chilies restaurant on a Saturday afternoon. We were seated at a booth.
We had just gotten our food (the fajitas are great when you get a good batch), when a couple and a little kid were seated
at a booth right next to us. I glanced over, and had to take a double take. Was that who I thought it was? Then the man laughed,
and that was the confirmation, we are having lunch with Justice Clarence Thomas.
I had, for several years, had my
oldest son watch Justice Thomas whenever he would make speeches on C-Span. I would explain to him that this was a good strong
man. After a few years, my son started to inform me when Justice Thomas was on TV. His intelligence and down to earth demeanor
always inspired us.
I leaned over to my son, as he was gobbling down his nachos and asked him if he recognized who
was at the next table. His eyes grew wide and glassy, his face turned red and he said itsitsits.. And I said thats right,
isnt it fun living in Fairfax Virginia? My son didnt eat much after that. Well we were almost finished, and the table was
cleaned and we were waiting for the check. I knew that this was it, and I had to say something. I turned toward his table
and said Justice Thomas. He looked over at me, with a look of surprise, and I then said When are you going to convince your
associates to actually read the Constitution, and enforce the 10th amendment?. There was a seconds pause, where you get to
reflect about what a fool you are potentially creating of yourself. And then it happened, Justice Thomas laughed, that big
resounding laugh. I made Clarence Thomas laugh, how cool is that?
We talked for a few moments. For some reason the
subject of C-Span came up. Justice Thomas related how he was watching C-Span that morning, and how this crabby woman called,
and was complaining about how the government should be doing all of these things like health care and saving the environment,
etcetera. After the woman was done with her tirade, the moderator of the show told the woman that she should call here congressperson
and senators. The moderator then asked the woman who her representatives are. And the woman did not know! We all had a good
laugh over this.
About that time, their food came, so we shook hands, and bid them goodbye. I told the boys to meet
me at the front of the restaurant in a few moments, as I swung around to the kitchen area, and told the waiter I wanted to
pay the tab and tip for the booth next to us. The transaction was processed, and we left. As we walked to the car, my son
asked me what I had done while they were waiting for me. I said I just bought lunch for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Thus I went up several points in my cool dad status that day.
After a couple of hours, I went back to the restaurant
and asked the waiter what had happened after we left. He said Justice Thomas was at a loss for words when told that someone
had paid for their lunch. The waiter said he just kept on repeating Thank you, Thank you over and over again.
Judging the Judge
A transcript of a PBS Newshour debate between the late Judge Leon Higginbotham (a particularly venomous Thomas opponent) and
Stephen Smith (an former Thomas clerk). Higginbotham had compared Thomas to George Wallace in an effort to keep the National
Bar Association from inviting Thomas to speak. Smith eviscerates Higginbotham, saying: "Again, it makes me proud of
the Justice again, people like Leon Higginbotham tried to bully him and to silence him, and to try to get him not to speak,
but demonstrating the kind of character he has. He stood his ground, and I thought presented a brilliant speech. He was verywithout
being preachyhe was confident, assertive of his rights to speak, and the only devastating consequences that his juris prudence
might have are for people like Leon Higginbotham, who live on keeping black people to think that people arethat white people
are racist."
The Thomas Confirmation Hearings
Though it is commonly thought to this day that the Senate was too "rough" on Anita Hill, it is instructive to read
the actual questioning that Hill received by Arlen Specter. Specter was actually much kinder than a real lawyer would have
been in a courtroom.
Even so, he manages to expose many contradictions, inconsistencies, and unbelievable statements
in Hill's testimony. An unbiased reader will be left with the impression that Hill was likely not telling the truth. Too
many things just don't add up about her story, and too many women who worked with both Hill and Thomas sided with Thomas on
the harassment question.
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