Justice Thomas Stands Up for the Declaration and Constitution
The Fox News headline was straight to the point: “Justice Thomas warns progressivism is threat to America in rare public remarks,” as was the subtitle, “Thomas’s remarks urged young people to have courage and stand up for their ideals.”
The story focused on the Justice’s recent remarks at the University of Texas at Austin. The Justice was appearing as a guest at a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It noted that Thomas was the longest-serving Justice on the Court. And the wisdom Justice Thomas displayed in his remarks certainly was a sign of those years of experience and collective wisdom.
Among other things, saying that the values of the Founders had “fallen out of favor,” the Justice was calling on his audience to revisit and stand up for the principles that had the Founders writing the Declaration in the first place.
Said the Justice: “I think if we don’t stand up and take ownership of our country, and take responsibility for it, we are slowly letting others control how we think and what we think.”
He went on:
Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence, and hence our form of government.
It holds that our rights and our dignities come not from God, but from the government. It requires of the people a subservience and a weakness incompatible with a Constitution premised on the transcendent origin of our rights.
The Justice kept going, noting that there was an increase of “cynicism, rejection, hostility and animus” in America, something that was perpetuated “by Americans” and what he called the alleged “pragmatists” or self-described intellectuals.
They recast themselves as institutionalist, pragmatists or thoughtful moderates, all as a way of justifying their failures to themselves, their consciences, and their country.
Thomas closed by adding:
“In my view, we must find in ourselves that same level of courage that the signers of the Declaration have so that we can do for our future what they did for theirs.” Adding again that the durability of democracy in America depended on it.
“I think if we don’t stand up and take responsibility for it, we are slowly letting others control how we think and what we think.
If you think it’s losing confidence, then you get up and participate. You don’t sit on the sidelines.”
It is precisely because Justice Thomas is such a clear thinker about America, its future, and its past — added to the fact that he is both black and conservative — that caused his lefty opponents of the day, and even now, to go crazy when he expounds at length on America and its governing principles.
Yet without question, the Justice is widely admired by millions of his fellow Americans because he is unafraid to stand up for the Declaration and the Constitution
As well he should be admired.
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