Skip to main content

Justice Thomas Tells Graduates Don’t Hide Faith in World ‘Gone Mad With Political Correctness’

 

Screen Shot 2016-05-15 at 9.25.34 AMIn a speech to graduates of Hillsdale College, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas reminded them of their duty to give back as citizens and patriots.

“Do not hide your faith and your beliefs under a bushel basket, especially in this world that seems to have gone mad with political correctness,” he said.

Thomas was the commencement speaker at the small liberal arts college in Michigan on Saturday. He first addressed what Thomas contends has been a very difficult term with the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia.

“When I think of Justice Scalia, I think of the good man I could instinctively trust during my first days on the Court … and those were challenging days,” he said.  “He was a man of character.”

Justice Thomas said he wanted to avoid the formulaic graduation speech where the speaker instructs graduate to go out and fix the world’s problems or change the world.

“Having been where you all are, I think it is hard enough to solve your own problems, not to mention those problems that often seem to defy solution,” he said.

Watch (Thomas speaks around 1:28) 

As Campus Reform pointed out, Thomas was one of the few conservative speakers asked to address students during this year’s round of graduations. The conservative organization said that 40 of the announced commencement speakers at this year’s top 100 schools have liberal leanings. Only ten such speakers are identifiably conservative.

“I am of a different time,” Thomas told the graduates. “Today there is much more focus on our rights as citizens and what we are owed, it is not often that one hears of our obligations or duties as citizens. ” He then gave students some lessons about giving back to society.

“If we are not making deposits to replenish our liberties, then who is? Are we content to let others do the work?” he said.

Tags:

Follow Law&Crime:

Rachel Stockman is President of Law&Crime which includes Law&Crime Productions, Law&Crime Network and LawAndCrime.com. Under her watch, the company has grown from just a handful of people to a robust production company and network producing dozens of true crime shows a year in partnership with major networks. She also currently serves as Executive Producer of Court Cam, a hit show on A&E, and I Survived a Crime, a new crime show premiering on A&E this fall. She also oversees production of a new daily syndicated show Law&Crime Daily, which is produced in conjunction with Litton Entertainment. In addition to these shows, her network and production company produce programs for Facebook Watch, Cineflix and others. She has spent years covering courts and legal issues, and was named Atlanta Press Club's 'Rising Star' in 2014. Rachel graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and Yale Law School.