Clarence Thomas is a "clown in blackface."

Forums: Politics, George Takei, Racism, Clarence Thomas
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I'm sort of cringing for my friend, George Takei (George is unaware of our friendship, btw) He was being interviewed and actually used that phrasing. A few people are leading a nightmare crusade on Twitter to demonize George.

What is your opinion of this event?

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/07/02/george-takei-justice-clarence-thomas-clown-in-blackface-and-disgrace-to-america/

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Type: Discussion • Score: 19 • Views: 3,993 • Replies: 74

George finally resurfaced and said "blackface" is a theatrical term and not racist...

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@Lash,

I happen to appreciate Thomas, and I'm hardly inclined to take a statement like that as either a retraction or an apology. Considering what else is considered racist, it is.

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When you are in the public eye you can not afford to have a rant . I dont know why being an actor makes Takei more of an expert on a legal point than a SC Judge . Ok, he was upset but if he couldn't control himself, by what right does he expect racists to be able to ?

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I am unimpressed by Thomas as a jurist, precisely because he uses his bully pulpit to push his political polemic. But George screwed the pooch on this one--George f*cked up big time.

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@roger,

Yeah. It didn't seem like an apology. I love George, but I don't think he should leave that comment out there.

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He could have called Thomas a crazy mf and I would have agreed. But it was not good to bring that blackface remark in. Too racially charged, no matter what Takei thinks.

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I have often wondered how Clarence Thomas justifies receiving a salary. He normally sits there doing nothing but taking up space like a lawn jockey. He is so under qualified and such a misfit on SCOTUS. Yes, he is an "embarrassment" to the court. When President Bush nominated him for SCOTUS Thomas was the only black Republican he knew and he had wanted to replace retired Thurgood Marshall's seat with another black person. He wanted a republican conservative, not one who was highly intelligent and fight for justice not only for blacks but all minorities. He could not have made a worse pick if he had deliberately set out to malign or stick a finger in the eye of African Americans.

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@Lash,

Lash wrote:

Yeah. It didn't seem like an apology. I love George, but I don't think he should leave that comment out there.

Try and see it from George's point of view. He was emotionally angry, and Thomas along with many who look askance at Gays refer to them as distortions of human nature. George struck out vehemently, passionately at his enemy who had insulted all Gays. Clarence Thomas does make one think of him as a hireling or flunky for the non-thinking antiquated among us.

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@foundednotlost,

I've liked George Takei, still do. I don't really mind what he said, he is well aware of the rhythms of considered thought in, say, the Los Angeles area. People who know him won't take it as offensive (I think). He is an intellectual and an actor, aka theatrical, and was making a point; I don't think he needs to apologize for presenting his viewpoint. It is essentially pro the black community.

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While objecting to the expression "clown in blackface," we should not overlook what occasioned Takei's outburst in the first place.

Quote:

. . . Justice Thomas wrote in dissent of the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of gay marriage. As part of that dissent, Justice Thomas wrote “human dignity cannot be taken away by the government. Slaves did not lose their dignity (any more than they lost their humanity) because the government allowed them to be enslaved. Those held in internment camps did not lose their dignity because the government confined them.”

Takei took issue with the judge's opinion.

“And for him to say, slaves have dignity, I mean, doesn’t he know that slaves were in chains? That they were whipped on the back?”

Takei added: “My parents lost everything that they worked for, in the middle of their lives, in their 30’s. His business, my father’s business, our home, our freedom and we’re supposed to call that dignified? Marched out of our homes at gun point. I mean, this man does not belong on the Supreme Court. He is an embarrassment. He is a disgrace to America.”

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/07/02/george-takei-justice-clarence-thomas-clown-in-blackface-and-disgrace-to-america/

Considering that Takei's own family was victimized in one of the most shameful episodes in American history, his anger over Clarence Thomas' outrageously callous statements is perfectly understandable and was more than justified.

Incidentally, Clarence Thomas grew up in Georgia under Jim Crow and knows personally how terrible it was; yet he has joined the political movement that defended it; namely, political conservatism. In his ruling two years ago when the Voting Rights Act was eviscerated by the Republican majority, Justice Thomas said that if he had had his way, the entire Act would have been eliminated. (By the way, he's even said that the NAACP has never done any good for this country ever since it was founded.) He clearly is a traitor to his race. Anyone who would say I've just made a racist statement would only be denying the truth.

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@wmwcjr,

Totally agree.

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@wmwcjr,

Yeah, wm. I knew this background, but we can all get upset and rightfully so. However, if I was mugged or beaten up by a black person, do I refer to their race - or what they did?

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@ossobuco,

ossobuco wrote:

I've liked George Takei, still do. I don't really mind what he said, he is well aware of the rhythms of considered thought in, say, the Los Angeles area. People who know him won't take it as offensive (I think). He is an intellectual and an actor; I don't think he needs to apologize for presenting his viewpoint.

I understand your reasoning. If it had been directed at someone else other than Clarence Thomas I would be at the forefront screaming foul! There is never a real excuse for racism, but I can understand George Takei's emotional level which understandably would allow one to forget themselves momentarily in heated rhetoric.

Clarence Thomas is an insult to minorities, Gays, and others who do not fit in. When he had his Supreme Court nomination much came out about his personality. Professor Anita Hill, a religiously quiet studious woman, quoted Thomas as saying one day in the office: "Who has put pubic hair on my Coke?" Other women came forward to paint a negative picture of Thomas. Last year, Thomas' wife called Professor Hill asking her to come forward and tell the truth, that she had loved Thomas and had lied at his nomination." Professor Hill was so frightened she called the FBI. Clearly, after all this time, the Thomas household is still worrying about that nomination for the United States Supreme Court, and evidently Thomas wife is still as stupid as ever.

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The main reason I don't think it wise to use that term, it bends the focus of discussion to that phrase and away from the gist of Takei's complaint - so ably presented above my last post.

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@Lash,

Totally agree. Wink

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@wmwcjr,

Quote:

Incidentally, Clarence Thomas grew up in Georgia under Jim Crow and knows personally how terrible it was, yet he has joined the political movement that defended it; namely, political conservatism. In his ruling two years ago when the Voting Rights Act was eviscerated by the Republican majority, Justice Thomas said that if he had had his way, the entire Act would have been eliminated. (By the way, he's even said that the NAACP has never done any good for this country ever since it was founded.) He clearly is a traitor to his race. Anyone who would say I've just made a racist statement would only be denying the truth.

Beautifully written. Clarence Thomas got into Yale with something akin to Affirmative Action, yet he has tried to tear down that ladder so others will not benefit. Many Blacks I know refer to him as "Uncle Thomas" and snicker. Thomas has a "slave" mentality and he is in glory with his white wife. (There is nothing wrong with intermarriage between whites and blacks, IMO.) A couple of years ago, Thomas tried to cheat the IRS by neglecting to put down his wife's considerable salary....he claimed he "forgot." He is also a constant visitor along with Scalia to the Koch brothers.

Clarence Thomas is not only a disgrace to the United States Supreme Court, he is completely out of place. About 5 years ago (I forget this expert on SCOTUS affairs) said "Clarence Thomas is Unfit to serve on the US Supreme Court....he is Unqualified.

Barack Obama voted against Thomas. In fact, Thomas represented one of the lowest levels of support for Supreme Court nominees.

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@wmwcjr,

For anyone who doesn't know the gist of his backgound -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Takei

My mother's family came to the west LA area around 1920. It was an area of lots of bean fields. There was a church they went to (catholic), lets say 20 blocks away, and some of my childhood memories are of my mother telling how people used to look out their windows at the catholics going to church in Sawtelle. (I've read about a lot of LA settling being from folks in Iowa, protestants likely. I dunno, that was my mother's memory).

Sometime later, Sawtelle was where the japanese were taken away from to camps. This was before I was sensient, but I remember my aunt hating japs when I got older.
There are sides to all that, of course, but the people in Sawtelle were not an enemy. Neither were C.I., or my later boss, Michael, both young children. Or, Takei. Don't get me going.

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@foundednotlost,

Does your post mean that you take Takei as racist by using those words, maybe a hidden racist?

If so, I disagree. Not that I know him, but it doesn't fit.

By the way, welcome to A2k.

edit -
Takei knows acting, and I'm sure he gets blackface acting as a phenomenon.

1 Reply

@foundednotlost,

foundednotlost wrote:

Clarence Thomas is an insult to minorities, Gays, and others who do not fit in.

He's no different than three other Supreme Court justices who vote in lockstep with him. The racist part of this is assuming that Thomas should vote a certain way because of his race. Why is Thomas "an insult to minorities" while Scalia, Alito and Roberts don't merit a mention? You would think that Thomas's background might shape some of his votes, but he was nominated by a conservative President to vote for conservative positions and that's what he does.

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Clarence Thomas is a "clown in blackface."

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