So as you can imagine the response to that utterance from the Right was both swift and aggressive.
However instead of walking back his remarks, Takei defended them:
A few fans have written wondering whether I intended to utter a racist remark by referring to Justice Thomas as a "clown in blackface."
"Blackface" is a lesser known theatrical term for a white actor who blackens his face to play a black buffoon. In traditional theater lingo, and in my view and intent, that is not racist. It is instead part of a racist history in this country.
I feel Justice Thomas has abdicated and abandoned his African American heritage by claiming slavery did not strip dignity from human beings. He made a similar remark about the Japanese American internment, of which I am a survivor. A sitting Justice of the Supreme Court ought to know better.
I have expressed my full thoughts on the matter here.
First I have to say that I fucking LOVE George Takei who has done a great deal to support the LGBT community and equal rights in this country.
Even if you are not a Star Trek fan it is all but impossible not to admire George Takei.
So I will say that while I personally would not have used the "blackface" comment, as a gay Japanese man who spent time in an internment camp during World War 2, I think that George Takei is one of the few people who can say it without losing a shred of credibility.
And yes Clarence Thomas is a fraud, and a disgrace to African American people in this country.
Update: It looks like Takei did end up bowing to criticism and apologizing.
A fraud and a disgrace. Perfectly stated. He doesn't ask questions (the last time was 9 years ago), although he was heard to make a joke last year. Other than that, nothing. He is a complete fraud. I remember well the confirmation hearings and Anita Hill's testimony about sexual harassment, and his utter, fake outrage. He's never gotten over it. Well, neither have the rest of us, Clarence.
ReplyDeleteToo bad he's only in his 60s...
Anita Hill was more qualified to serve on the Supreme Court than Clarence Thomas. He is an ignorant asshole who is over his head in his current role
DeleteI was always baffled by how the hearings got twisted into, well if he didn't harass Anita Hill, then he should be confirmed as a supreme court justice..
DeleteWhether he was qualified for the job seemed to be irrelevant, and based on his abysmal performance in the EEOC, he was not.
I've never been much of a Star Trek fan, but I just love Takei. He's funny, insightful, and he has such dignity and grace.
ReplyDeleteTo see some of his humor, I highly recommend watching some of his YouTube videos. His reading of Fifty Shades of Grey is priceless.
And to see something more serious which shows his insight, watch a TED talk that he did about his memories from being in a Japanese internment camp in WWII. It's on Netflix. This guy is just plain awesome.
Agreed! And, Anita Hill tried to tell 'em!
DeleteNo respect for Thomas whatsoever.
Go, George, you tell 'em!
When he was a child, George Takei and his family were forced into an internment camp for Japanese-Americans, as a “security" measure during World War II. 70 years later, Takei looks back at how the camp shaped his surprising, personal definition of patriotism and democracy.
Deletehttp://www.ted.com/talks/george_takei_why_i_love_a_country_that_once_betrayed_me?language=en
George Takei on Marriage and Donald Trump
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/george-takei-on-marriage-and-donald-trump-473289795533
George Takei & Allegiance
https://www.youtube.com/user/allegiancebway/videos
George Takei Devastates Clarence Thomas With A Powerful Message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBcogCzihvo
The only dignity that African-American slaves ever had was the type that they cultivated on their own through their own inner strength when dealing with being treated as property.
ReplyDeleteWhite slave owners never gave them a shred of fucking dignity. If slaves where well clothed and fed, (and it was their work that provided the food and clothing) it was because their master allowed them to have a small portion of the benefits of their hard work.
And the slave owners sure as hell didn't do it out of wanting to give their slaves dignity. They did to keep their property healthy and productive. It's just like how some farmers take excellent care of their livestock. They care because it gives them economic benefit.
A revolution is blowin' in the wind when men stand up and speak their minds and don't back down. What do you have to say for yourself, Clarence Thomas? Just because you are wearing a robe, and have a big title, does not make you immune to justified rebuke, your position questioned, your judgement suspect.
ReplyDeleteAnd that goes for the rich & privileged who must surely see their future is on shaky ground -- tell us to "eat cake" and strip the nation of democracy with your dark election money at your peril. How can you not see that when everyone's fortunes rise, yours will, too. But not as the inequality stands now. It is insupportable and inhumane. You have built a house of cards that will take you down as well.
I totally agree with Takei on this! And, he is catching hell nationally. What is wrong with our country? Clarence Thomas has acted as a fool numerous times - factual and proven! And, I'm not anti blacks!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love George and have actually had some personal correspondence with him while fund-raising for Nader. But I disagree with his comment as I believe the strength liberals have is not being hypocritical when it comes to racism and human rights.
ReplyDeleteThomas does go through life in blackface. The bastard.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Thomas is wearing black skin just as a costume. Internally, he has disassociated himself from any black identity and worse, has worked to advance oppression and injustice against blacks (and other humans).
DeleteGeorge has apologized on his blog for his wording but not for the criticism.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on Clarence Thomas were that if u read some of the things he has written or said, he comes across as self hating. He denies that his race had anything to so with where he has gotten, but was it his brilliant court room victories that got him appointed when Thurgood Marshall died. Or did the administration want to replace an African American with another? The analogy that comes to mind is that he climbs a ladder to get somewhere, pulls it up behind him to prevent others from getting up, then yells at them to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. He needs to keep his mouth shut, because when he opens it, he shows that he isn't qualified to be there, whether with these statements or referring to his senate hearing as a lynching.
ReplyDeleteI do so agree.
DeleteOT
ReplyDeleteThe enlightened pee ponders have now changed their predictions of Sarah's announcement to be on the 10th of July rather then today. Guess Ole reliable Sarah placed a countdown clock on her page (which I can't seem to find) of when a silly contest ends. The ponders say that it is such a trivial contest that the clock must mean something.
I stand corrected. As it must not be any surprise Sarah quit the contest to pick the next women to be featured on the $10 bill. She was suppose to announce the winner today. Instead she erased the post like it never exsisted. She received a lot of flack for even suggesting. That the bill should change but she got out of it what she wanted...a large amount of email accounts.
DeleteI lost track....she's waiting for the last deep seated to announce so she can rise like a phoenix? Good luck with that, $arah, there aren't enough drugs in the world to get you through it. Must be her full length "I'm so speshul" DVD release.
DeleteI
CA Hockey Dad • 7 minutes ago
DeleteI just saw on Sarah's Facebook page that she changed the date of the ten dollar bill contest to July 10. It looks like that's going to be the big day. The campaign team probably planned on announcing today but had to push it back. This still gives them enough time to get into the first Fox debate.
I'm getting very excited and can't wait to jump into campaign mode. This will be the most exciting Presidential campaign America has ever seen!
CA Hockey Dad bigsun24 • 4 hours ago
The polls are meaningless at this point. Once Sarah jumps in they will be radically rearranged. Bush probably won't go down much but Sarah will jump to the top as supporters of Cruz, Carson, and others will realize that they no longer need to settle for their second choice.
CA Hockey Dad Al B. • 3 hours ago
I have no doubt she will announce soon. I've been watching the news as it could easily happen today. If not today, it will happen soon. If you thought the excitement for Trump was big, wait until Sarah announces. It just shows you what support for an 'insurgent' candidate there is.
CA Hockey Dad • 4 hours ago
I'm really sick of seeing the posts on this site that say "if Sarah runs". If you have so little faith in Sarah, then why don't you just jump ship now and come back here when she makes her announcement? Sarah is a person of extreme integrity. She is not going to string people along thinking that she might run. She knows how important this election is to the future of our country. If she had decided not to run she would have told us and she'd probably already be backing someone like Trump and actively moving their campaign along.
I'd also like to know what you are all doing to help make her campaign start off with a bang once she announces. Have you talked to local Republican delegates who could potentially vote for her? Do you even know how you would go about influencing the people who could vote for her or how to become a delegate yourself? If you think Sarah's going independent, have you investigated what are the requirements for your state about getting an independent candidate on the ballot?
I also can't believe I've read people on this site advocating that we NOT give money to Sarah PAC. Are you crazy? Maybe you need to watch the video that Sarah put on her Facebook page a few days ago if you need to be convinced of the influence that Sarah PAC has.
Sorry for the harsh tone, I just think you all need to get a little more serious about strategizing how we're going to get Sarah elected President next year. I come here and I see some chit-chat, a lot of infighting, but little actual discussion of campaign work. I'm ready for the latter and that's what I do best.
I'm impressed by the Earthquake movement and have helped them out. They're actually getting out there and getting the word out. If you guys know of other independent PACs working on Sarah's campaign, please let me know.
TheresaAK • 6 hours ago
DeleteThe Litmus Test of Presidential Candidates for 2016
If any of these Candidates are smart, they will write books about how our Sarah was the reason they were even on the radar..that is how you win the Presidency.
No more stuff about Foreign Policy, no more stuff about Economics, Corruption in DC, the Border Crisis, Amnesty, ISIS...no, if they had any intellect at all, they would write a book on how Sarah endorsed them and that is the only reason they were elected. Okay, they can mention all that insignificant stuff, but maybe only a line or two.
There is no reason why anyone who has had any interaction with Sarah on the Political scene, should write a book about anything, if it doesn't include Sarah being the reason for their success.
And as far as the debates go, the very first thing they should do, before they answer any questions, is to look right in the camera, smile, wave to the audience and announce they are standing up there because of Sarah, you know like "Hey, I didn't build it, Sarah did".
You see, everyone who supported any of these Candidates, also supports Sarah Palin, and if you don't give all credit due for your achievements in life, even before you met Sarah, you are TOAST people...don't even bothering running for Office...stick a fork in you, you are over.
I haven't noticed where Trump has come out and said it is because of Sarah, he is a successful businessman, a VERY successful business man, but he did however say thank you and invited her to pizza.....
Hey, that's all I needed to hear from Trump...Go Trump!
I hope all the Candidates running will read my post and take heed, if they are smart they will, if not, they are TOAST, STICK A FORK IN THEM, OVER.
You hear that Walker, Jindal, Rand Paul, Kaisich, Bush, Trump, Carly, Carson
korn8131 DonLTx • 5 hours ago
Tx, I'm here to tell ya, if Sarah decides not to run, this site will become so pejorative, that will make today's post and reply's seem like a love fest!!
TheresaAK korn8131 • 5 hours ago
If Sarah doesn't run, this site will no longer stay active. imho
You will see supporters turning on her and things they will say, will make you wonder how they ever called themselves "supporters".
Already the rumblings of her demise, should she not run in 2016, have been touted by "avid" supporters.
http://conservatives4palin.com/2015/07/open-thread-1431.html
These poor fools are off their meds.
Delete"Sarah is a person of extreme integrity. She is not going to string people along thinking that she might run"
DeleteCan you imagine anyone being so ignorant or maybe just stupid? SP "strings people along" perpetually and always has. It is mind numbing to see that there are those among us who are so dumb stupid that they actually believe her.
I think what really set Mr Takei off was Thomas's remarks about the Japanese-American internees and the ignorance seen in that statement by one who had lived through it and saw what it did to his family. The 442nd Regimental Combat team was composed of Japanese-Americans, many of whom volunteered to serve out of the internment camps. Their motto was "go for broke" and no unit of their size suffered more casualties, or were awarded more decorations, including over twenty Medals of Honor. They felt they had to prove that they were Americans. Did they have dignity yes. Did the government treat them with a lack of dignity, yes. Many were very successful and had nothing to go back to when released from the camps. Upholding their internment was one of the worst SCOTUS decisions ever.
ReplyDeleteAnd you can bet, had Thomas been on the SC when the internment of Japanese American citizens was upheld he would have voted for continuing the internment. Not a shred of human compassion, not an iota of understanding of the Constitution in that Thomas' brain.
DeleteNo wonder he's a puppet of the Koch brothers.
Beaglemom
I believe Clarence Thomas is over his head being a Supreme Court justice. He was chosen by Reagan and should have never been appointed after what we all heard from Anita Hill. Remember her saying he referred to his dick as “the Long John Dong”. The sexual allegations Anita Hill claimed should have at least been investigated thoroughly before he was even voted on. Just another one of many fuch ups by Reagan’s
ReplyDeleteAs I recall Thomas has yet to write up a decision, or an opinion of the court. Is it because the other Justices know he’s not capable? Thomas seems to see himself as a white man, and doesn’t seem at all concerned about the serious abuses his ancestors went through as slaves. He almost seems to be in denial of what happened to the slaves, or even what his people have to go through today.
Actually, he was head of the Equal Employ.ent Opportunity Commission under Reagan. GHW Bush appointed him to the federal bench then nominated him to the supreme court. Either way, it was a mistake.
DeleteWhat a joke to have had Thomas as head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission!
DeleteBeaglemom
Thomas seems to see himself as a white man,
Delete--------------------
Yeah, but he sure pulled the race card when he needed it, that shut down all the allegations.
The difference between a Liberal and a Con is the Liberal can apologize when he's wrong.
ReplyDeleteGeorge did not need to apologize, but he's a better liberal than me: Everything he said about Clarence is true, especially the blackface buffoon part. That is what Clarence is.
After the recent SCOTUS decision the death threats would have quadrupled.
ReplyDeleteFuck all of you wingnut gay-haters sitting at the computer in your underwear playing with yourselves and making death threats- you'll never win.
He should never have apologized is my opinion. We, on the left, always cave way too easily. We need to become harder nosed.
ReplyDeleteFuck Republicans and people like Clarence Thomas!
And, we need to get the voters out and make many changes throughout our nation with our votes in 2016. It can be done!
George Takei Apologizes for Calling Clarence Thomas a “Clown in Blackface” (But Not for Criticizing Him)
ReplyDelete'On the eve of this Independence Day, I have a renewed sense of what this country stands for, and how I personally could help achieve it. The promise of equality and freedom is one that all of us have to work for, at all times. I know this as a survivor of the Japanese American internment, which each day drives me only to strive harder to help fulfill that promise for future generations.
I recently was asked by a reporter about Justice Clarence Thomas’s dissent in the marriage equality cases, in which he wrote words that really got under my skin, by suggesting that the government cannot take away human dignity through slavery, or though internment. In my mind that suggested that this meant he felt the government therefore shouldn’t be held accountable, or should do nothing in the face of gross violations of dignity. When asked by a reporter about the opinion, I was still seething, and I referred to him as a “clown in blackface” to suggest that he had abdicated and abandoned his heritage. This was not intended to be racist, but rather to evoke a history of racism in the theatrical arts. While I continue to vehemently disagree with Justice Thomas, the words I chose, said in the heat of anger, were not carefully considered.
I am reminded, especially on this July 4th holiday, that though we have the freedom to speak our minds, we must use that freedom judiciously. Each of us, as humans, have hot-button topics that can set-us off, and Justice Thomas had hit mine, that is clear. But my choice of words was regrettable, not because I do not believe Justice Thomas is deeply wrong, but because they were ad hominem and uncivil, and for that I am sorry.
I often ask fans to keep the level of discourse on this page and in comments high, and to remember that we all love this country and for what it stands for, even if we often disagree passionately about how to achieve those goals. I did not live up to my own high standards in this instance.
I hope all of you have a wonderful, safe and joyously free July 4th, the first where all married couples in the U.S. can enjoy the full liberties of matrimony equally. It is truly a blessing to be an American today.'
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/44796_George_Takei_Apologizes_for_Calling_Clarence_Thomas_a_Clown_in_Blackface_%28But_Not_for_Criticizing_Him%29#rss-sm
Conservative video in response to George Takei
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ-oDcYsUN4&list=FL3mxE1-a83M8c6l1MZXXmeg
George Takei is a delightful man. I had the opportunity to meet him at a Star Trek convention years ago (Yes, I'm a proud Trekkie nerd) and he couldn't have been nicer. (Nichelle Nichols, too, she's a beautiful woman inside and out)
ReplyDeleteI would've maybe used different words...because unfortunately everybody is focused on the "blackface" comment instead of the point of his remarks.
But I absolutely agree with Mr Takei's point. There is NOTHING dignified about taking a person's freedoms away from them. Clarence Thomas is a nasty little man and he certainly isn't dignified enough to be part of a great, historical and powerful group as the Supreme Court.
His apology was the most gracious. He actually apologized for his words. Not the typical, "If I offended anyone" bullshit. George is a national fucking treasure. -sjp
ReplyDeleteThomas is a perfect example of affirmative action and why it doesn't work. He was never qualified for any position he ever held, he got to where he was due to the color of his skin. He is the most perfect argument I've ever seen as to why we are phasing affirmative action out of this country.
ReplyDeleteI always admired Mr Takei, he's always been a staunch supporter of LGBT issues, he once spoke at Equality Forum in Center City Philly. I missed it, but my nephew recorded some of it where he recalled his experiences as an out gay man, and his treatment as a child.
ReplyDeleteHe's right about Judge Thomas, but the blackface comment went a bit too far, I understand what he meant, but the image that comes to mind is "Uncle Tom" and the old depictions of African Americans through history. I'm glad he apologized and explained why he said it.
That being said, I have little respect for Judge Thomas and his lovely teabagger wife.
And a classier apology I've never seen. His words are so sincere and well-spoken (written) that an account of this entire exchange should be used as a case study for conflict resolution and apologizing humbly. With so many politicians having to apologize recently for a bucketful of infractions, not a one of them sounded sincere. And I'm sure they weren't. Kudos to Mr. Takei, your words are an example of truly heartfelt atonement.
ReplyDelete