Sometimes, we make mistakes. We’ve all made them. I seem to err quite often, truth be told. And if klutziness also counts as erring, I’m a yutz. I run into walls and tables and things.
But some mistakes are bigger than others.
Like this one.
It was on this date, October 15, 1991, when the U.S. Senate voted 52 to 48 to confirm Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Fifty-two members of the U.S. Senate were complete yutzes that day.
I wonder if they want their votes back.
You see, in July of 1991, Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to sit on the Supreme Court, announced his retirement after 34 years.
So, our then-sitting President George Bush nominated Clarence Thomas.
Thomas was 43 years old at the time. An African-American judge known for his conservative beliefs. Bush asked him to fill the seat.
Thomas evaded controversy over his conservative views on issues such as abortion by refusing to state a clear political position. Oh, that would come back around, as we would see. But back then, he seemed headed for an easy confirmation until Anita Hill, a former aide, stepped forward and accused him of sexual harassment.
Nobody in Congress listened.
Hill, who had served as an aide to Thomas, alleged that he had repeatedly made sexually offensive comments to her. Americans were shocked by both the frankness of Hill’s testimony and the unsympathetic response of the all-male committee. Some of those guys questioning her were openly antagonistic. All the while, Clarence Thomas denied the charges. They tried to paint Anita Hill as incompetent. Some witnesses called on Thomas’ behalf cast doubt on Hill’s character and mental stability.
So there it happened. On October 15, the Senate narrowly voted to approve Thomas’ confirmation.
And in he went. These days, we see that his wife is a Q’Anon supporter and, perhaps, an actual member.
Thomas accepts money, fancy private jet rides, and ritzy vacations from conservative billionaires wishing to push their own agendas. I’ll scratch your back, buddy.
So. There is it is. October 15th is a lot of things to a lot of people. But in this case, it is “National Huge Mistake Which Will Come Back To Haunt You” Day.
It’s probably best not to celebrate this one. Instead, maybe, go waste some money on lottery tickets.
“”””””””””””””
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”
― L.M. Montgomery
“”””””””””””””
“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.”
― George Bernard Shaw
“”””””””””””””
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
— Proverb
“”””””””””””””
“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
― George W. Bush
“”””””””””””””
Whoops Day. Historically speaking.
