Questions About Clarence Thomas

As an African-American, Roman Catholic and former priest, I find the odyssey of Thomas most intriguing and tragic. It is the stuff of “Jelly’s Last Jam” and all of the literary portraits of one’s denial regarding the real value and worthiness of his life and that of the people from whom he springs.

Judge Thomas appears to have fallen victim of his own confused thinking in his obvious attempts to escape the negative stereotypes that have plagued blacks for centuries. He has apparently decided to steal away to the safe ground of the “worthy” folk and to ensure his own place among them by giving public testimony about blacks and other minorities who have “failed” in this society, according to him, because of their own lack of ambition, initiative and education. He illustrates this, of course, by publicly castigating the life of his own mother and sister, who might have been “successful” if only they had followed the good paths of self-discipline and self-reliance that he got from his granddad and the good nuns.

What fascinates me is the question: Does Thomas actually believe the simplistic pap that he spouts out regarding rugged individualism or has he reached such a depth of cynicism where he would try to beat a self-deceiving society at its own games and lies concerning the meaning of success? Can anyone who would publicly castigate his own mother and sister and distort the circumstances and values of their lives, in order to prop up his own ambitions, be considered successful?

THOMAS F. HONORE

Culver City