Unhinged Opinion: The Blatant Hypocrisy of Justice Clarence Thomas
Justice Clarence Thomas, a staunch conservative on the Supreme Court, shared his opinions at the 11th Judicial Circuit Conference in Atlanta, stirring widespread fears that the draft opinion intended to overturn Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court could become law.
The conference saw Thomas criticizing people for being "obsessed" with wanting a specific outcome, rather than accepting one that doesn't suit them. However, his comments were disconcerting, given his own stance on dismantling Roe v. Wade and suggesting that the right to reproductive freedom was started through judicial activism.
Thomas expressed alarm that the recent developments in the U.S. could signal a "poor sign for a free society." He also mentioned that young people may not hold the same level of respect for the law as previous generations.
It's astonishing that Thomas would decry the lack of respect for law when his stance on overturning Roe v. Wade undermines that very principle. If Roe v. Wade is indeed overturned, at least 13 Republican-controlled states already have enacted laws banning abortions.
The irony deepens as Thomas lodged concern over the treatment of his wife, Ginni Thomas, in the aftermath of the 2020 elections and the events leading up to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Days after Biden was declared the victor in the 2020 elections, Ginni Thomas texted Trump's Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, urging him to "help this great President get back on his feet, Mark!!", criticizing Democrats for attempting to perpetrate "the biggest heist in our history."
Despite all legal challenges against Trump's claims, Ginni Thomas continued to text Meadows on January 10, 2021, expressing disappointment with Pence after he refused to follow Trump's demands to unilaterally overturn the election results.
Ginni Thomas also attended the January 6th rally and claimed she had no involvement in planning the Capitol protest. At the event, Trump urged the crowd to "go to the Capitol," adding that "we will demand that Congress does the right thing and only count the electors who have been legally sworn in."
With irony dripping, Thomas lamented that people were "obsessed with wanting a specific outcome," and "unwilling to accept one that doesn't suit them." Wasn't this exactly what he and his wife were doing?
Even more hypocritical is how Thomas' plea for a free society rings hollow when his judicial philosophy would result in a restriction of such freedoms, a clear example of the two-faced nature of those on the right.
Ginni Thomas' actions during and after the 2020 elections, including her text messages to Meadows and attendance at the Capitol protest, reflect the level of involvement that members of the political elite, such as Thomas, have in attempting to subvert the democratic process.
Regrettably, Thomas' hypocrisy is not an isolated case on the right. It's becoming increasingly common for politicians to embrace double standards, behaving contrary to their own rhetoric to further their agenda.
In this context, there is a critical need for Jones to hold politicians responsible for their actions, speaking out against hypocrisy in all forms and advocating for a society that holds its leaders accountable for their words and deeds.
As a helpful aid, below are some resources that delve deeper into Thomas' judicial philosophy and actions:
- The New Yorker's profile of Justice Clarence Thomas
- The Washington Post's article on Ginni Thomas and her involvement in the Trump Campaign's efforts to overturn the 2020 election
- ACLU's brief on the dangers of overturning Roe v. Wade
[1] The New Yorker, "Justice Thomas's Dissent in Dobbs: 'I Would Sooner Stand Alone,'" by Jeffrey Toobin, December 2021 [2] The Washington Post, "Ginni Thomas's escalating efforts to overturn the election contributed to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, reports, interviews, and texts show," by Carol Leonnig and Robert Costa, April 2022 [3] The ACLU, "Statement of the ACLU on Threats to Overturn Roe v. Wade," January 2022
