Let's hear from Justice Thomas

[VIDEO] Before I go to bed tonight, here's a video of SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas who in 1998 spoke to the National Bar Association in Memphis, Tennessee. I found the whole text of his speech and this is what you will see in the video above:

I have come here today not in anger or to anger, though my mere presence has been sufficient, obviously, to anger some. Nor have I come to defend my views, but rather to assert my right to think for myself, to refuse to have my ideas assigned to me as though I was an intellectual slave because I’m black. I come to state that I’m a man, free to think for myself and do as I please. I’ve come to assert that I am a judge and I will not be consigned the unquestioned opinions of others.

I've learned of this speech through FOX News' Laura Ingraham on her program tonite. And this is the only video I have found of this provided by the AP. The video she had came from C-Span.

I you click the link within the brackets you will start at the point where Justice Thomas begins to speak and basically that paragraph quoted above. Before that we see the Justice shaking hands with attendees and we see one speaker an Illinois trial judge Shelvin Hall speak of denouncing anyone who "denigrates the aims of the civil rights movement".

I also see from the description to this AP video that Justice Thomas wasn't welcome. This organization didn't want him there. There was an expected walkout and none materialized. Of course Thomas has been over the years suffered attacks as a Black conservative on the nation's highest court.

I just felt as if it was necessary to share this with you. The message from his speech that is a big takeaway for me is always think for yourself. Don't force yourself to conform to the ideas of a group.