This commentary was written by opinion columnist Adam Van Brimmer.
If Georgia wants to honor US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas with a statue in the grounds of the Statehouse, let’s not display the completed sculpture until after Thomas’s death.
Just in case.
The Georgia legislature is currently considering legislation that would pave the way for a stone tribute to Thomas, the longtime conservative jurist, to be carved and placed in the Capitol. The law has already passed the Georgia Senate, led by Senator Ben Watson, a Republican whose district includes the Pin Point neighborhood of Savannah, where Thomas’ family lives.
The measure was introduced at Georgia House on February 14, a day after it was cleared by the Senate. Swift action improves the chances of the bill passing, as does the fact that the House is led by another Savannah-area Republican, Effingham County Speaker Jon Burns.
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Debate over a Thomas statue has been ongoing since Watson and a Senate colleague launched the campaign for the monument in October 2021. Thomas’ staunchly conservative interpretations of the US Constitution have long made him a lightning rod on the Supreme Court and even a pariah among liberals here in his hometown.
Animus against Thomas soared in 2022 when it emerged that he was the only judge to object to the release of White House documents to the Congressional Committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021. At the same time, the public learned that Thomas’ wife, Ginni, had pressured Trump administration officials to block certification of the 2020 presidential election.
Then, in June, Thomas made inflammatory remarks after the Supreme Court ruled Roe v. Wade had picked up. Those comments attracted more than a million signatures on an online petition calling for his impeachment.
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The extremely partisan tone now surrounding Thomas is why the Legislature’s push for a statue honoring the judiciary has sparked widespread public outcry.
And why should Republicans, who control the Georgia legislative process, manage to get approval for a statue of Thomas, best save it until the 74-year-old’s legacy is fully settled.
Now why a controversy in court with the statue of Clarence Thomas?
Watson’s rationale for a statue of Thomas is credible.
Thomas’ life story is moving. Born into poverty and raised by his grandparents in Jim Crow South, he used his love of books and knowledge to escape his circumstances and earn a law degree from Yale. His career has included several civil service positions and he was appointed to the judiciary in 1990, a year before his appointment to the Supreme Court.
He was the second black American in history to join the High Court and has served for more than three decades.
“I’m from Savannah and he’s from Savannah and I’ve known his family a long time,” Watson said. “I have great respect for him. His story is inspiring.”
Thomas’ controversies in 2022 didn’t stop Watson from filing the statue bill at that session. He notes that Thomas’ dissent on the abortion ruling was constitutionally based and that the judiciary’s controversial comments on gay rights and contraception prompted the US Congress to pass bipartisan legislation protecting same-sex marriage.
“His comments were rational comments related to the law,” Watson said. “It was the public that didn’t take her that way.”
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Hatred of Thomas may be fueled by partisanship, but concerns about Thomas are valid. His dissent in a January 6 document is suspect given evidence of his wife’s involvement, and his increasingly subtle ideological leanings on disputed judgments inform his legacy.
Georgia lawmakers should weigh the risks and rewards of the situation. You lose nothing by delaying the addition of a Thomas monument on the Capitol grounds.
If they continue, they must realize that the only thing more absurd than an ugly debate about whether to erect a statue is an even more acrimonious argument about dismantling that monument.
Contact Van Brimmer at avanbrimmer@savannahnow.com and follow him on Twitter @SavannahOpinion.