As Republicans are enjoying their majority in both the House and Senate, they are also pushing forth their own (questionable) agendas. The latest debate doesn’t revolve around healthcare or really anything to benefit the people. And then there’s this. Lawmakers are currently considering how to honor Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Previous Fight for Clarence Thomas Statue
Georgia Senate Republicans are once again pushing for Thomas to have a statue of himself, per Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Back in 2022, the party proposed a bill for the erection of his statue on the grounds of the state Capitol grounds but failed to get a vote in the state House, per The AP. Then, in February 2023, they fought again for the Thomas monument but offered for it to be paid for with private money instead of public funding, the report says.
“This native son of Georgia deserves a place of honor and recognition on our Capitol grounds, a place where future generations of Georgians can learn valuable lessons from his legacy and gain inspiration and belief that their lofty dreams are obtainable too in America, regardless of the circumstances into which they are born,” Sen. Ben Watson told senators at the time via the report.
This time around, Senate GOP leaders are suggesting Thomas’ statue should stand across from the state Capitol in front of the Nathan Deal Judicial Center across the way, per the AJC.
Why Thomas Doesn’t Need a Statue
As you could expect, Democrats weren’t going for it. Every time, they pushed back against the bill, citing Thomas’ controversial history as a justice as a reason why he doesn’t deserve such honorable recognition.
For starters, Thomas was accused by Anita Hill of sexual harassment at the time of his confirmation. They also considered his controversial opinions, one of which caused Roe v. Wade to be overturned and another that suggested the ruling that legalized same-sex marriage should be revisited as well. Last year, according to USA TODAY, he even came for the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, arguing that the federal courts should not have a role in deciding if congressional maps were discriminatory against Black folks… Black folks like him (????).
More Pushback Against the Bill
Not to mention, his wife got swept up into Jan 6. Insurrection mess when the Feds found out she was sending former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows text messages encouraging resistance to the 2020 election results. All of these things completely offset the whole “legacy of a famous Black supreme court justice” narrative Republicans try to push.
During the 2023 debate over the statue, Sen, Emanuel Jones called Thomas an outright Uncle Tom, The AP reported. Sen. Nan Orrock said then Thomas’ service on the highest court was “problematic.”
There’s certainly going to be more pushback from the Democrats this go round. Also, whose to say the monument would end up being a waste of money anyway? During the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, demonstrators took things to the next level by vandalizing statues of notorious Confederate leaders whose racism continued the oppression of Black people.
If the folks in Atlanta don’t like the bronze replica of Thomas, who knows what will come of it?