I Write Because I Have To Dept

…Ok I can’t sleep and it’s Easter but there’s nuthin I like better than a good Clarence Thomas scandal so…

“What the Fuck Clarence Thomas?”

an essay on the quality known as Self-Respect

What the fuck, Clarence Thomas?

You have been challenged by a controversy that goes to your very fundamental integrity.

Millions in gifts and “friendly hospitality”?

“Friendly hospitality”? What is this? “Petticoat Junction?

This is really bad. You’d been cut. It’s gross.

And what do you do? You make an excuse? A lame-ass excuse? You didn’t know better?

You asked your friends? Your “colleagues and others”? Because you didn’t know taking gifts might be something you might have to disclose?

You didn’t know better?

What is this? An episode of “Leave it to Beaver”?

Clarence Fucking Thomas. This is your big moment- unless you’ve checked out utterly in your swirling toilet- bowl flush into absolute Fascism, (which I believe you have.)

Meaning you do not have to think. At all. Just check the box, for the Society you belong to.

-Wrong!

This is huge and hugely important. This thing about corruption.

You are in it.

It’s like poker. Well, I confess I do not know how to play poker but let us say it is like “movie” poker, in the sense of old westerns and heist films.

Every player is staring over their hands, cards fanned out under a hanging bulb, eyeballs staring out from under their visors and hat-brims. Tension is building.

Someone puts a challenge- lays down their cards, shows their hand.

A publication exposes what looks like massive corruption -by you.

And in such a situation, what Clarence would do, metaphorically IF (and I do mean “if”) he had self-respect, and concern for the public, and a modicum of insight (for what justice lacks insight?) would be to “see” that hand of poker and raise the stakes. By being honest and brilliant and authoritative.

You would be honest and direct and brilliant and forthright and correct and demolish any criticism of yourself with your absolute integrity- which you, Clarence, could easily do, because you have ALWAYS acted with absolute integrity. You, Clarence, would provide examples. They are numerous, myriad. Plus you are obligated to do so.

If you, Clarence Thomas, had authentic self-respect, as well as respect for the Public you swore an oath to serve, you would stun the public with an unambiguous review of your decisions, demonstrating your depth of knowledge, your even-handedness- (for what is Justice, anyway, if not even-handed?), your commitment to the vast enterprise of upholding the ethos of the Constitution of the United States, in all its genius, with all its ethical implications, in its miraculously intricate scheme, of balancing all the powers of the Federal Government with the hierarchy of human needs expressed through the Rights of a Free People.

You would never be bothered again.

But no. You lack all of those qualities.

You lack good judgement!

Clarence Thomas utterly lacks good judgement.

And is sitting on the bench of the United States Supreme Court.

He lacks good judgement. ( Did I just say that? Oh well. If I repeat myself, I repeat myself, as Ralph Waldo Emerson would say.)

Or as the great Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes would say-

Never mind. Clarence doesn’t really give a shit about what Holmes- or anyone else- has to say, I don’t believe.

“Insecure and wielding absolute power looking for same.” That’s Ginny and Clarence.

We know what we need to know about the justices on the court. They know themselves.

The egomania can’t disguise the self-hate among the right-wing judges, black and white.

Clarence. You could be the greatest justice in history or, at a minimum, at least, outstanding -if right now you yourself stood on principle and cleaned up the court, urged reform, raised the standard, rejected opportunism in favor of true justice.

But we are weary and long past urging and ahh.

Some day you may just have to step down.

If your friends will let you.

***

The Antonin Scalia Memorial Pool of Bad Judgement

…High dive competition: Supreme Justices compete in the Justice Antonin Scalia Memorial Pool to see who has the most outrageous technique in the Olympic Bad Judgement Category:

First in was the Chief doing one double twist screwdriver of bad judgement right into the pool. The Mrs was standing poolside and is completely soaked! Did everyone see that? Amazing!

Next Clarence Thomas did a flailing floundering belly-flop of bad judgement, with a splash-out and all the bystanders are hit with a massive wave and then …he climbed the ladder and did it again! There’s nothing subtle about his performance. The crowd has moved back from poolside.

Next here comes Gorsuch. He’s steady, good form, and then does a tricky backflip into a pike position of bad judgement and that may be a winner. He looks confident that he has perhaps the worst judgement. We shall see.

Here’s Amy. She’s looking nervous, stands at the edge of the board but wait- she looks like she’s praying and just leans over and drops like a potato into the deep end of the bad judgement pool. Wow. It was a failed attempt at the classic cannonball. She’s coming up for air now. She needs a towel and a hug.

Now here is big Sam Alito. He’s on the high dive and he’s sitting there- drinking a snifter of wine. Wait he’s got friends up there on the diving board and they’re having a picnic up there. He’s shaking his head like he’s not going to perform his dive of bad judgement- Wait! there he goes! Uh oh , looks like he’s having trouble with his suit! Uh oh, we’re losing our picture-

We are back. Yes that was totally bad judgement!

It looks like all the justices performed with Olympic bad judgement all around!

Scores: 10!