Where Will You Put Your New Clarence Thomas Bobblehead?
The Clarence Thomas bobblehead has hit the street just in time for the dozing justice's 20th anniversary on the bench.
In contrast to his typically reclining form, wide-eyed and standing atop pizza boxes and a tractor-trailer, the Thomas bobblehead denotes some of the more interesting statements that Thomas has made over time.
But they completely miss the true essence of the Thomas tenure.
Take, for example, the following quotes:
- I write separately to observe that our case law has drifted far from the original understanding of the Commerce Clause. (U.S. v. Lopez)
- In my view, the history of public education suggests that the First Amendment, as originally understood, does not protect student speech in public schools. (Morse v. Frederick)
- I write separately to reiterate my view that the Court's abortion jurisprudence, including Casey and Roe v. Wade, has no basis in the Constitution. (Gonzales v. Carhart)
Sensing a theme? Yeah, everyone else, too.
But despite nearly 20 years of saying the same thing over, and over, and over again, Thomas has never given up on his message, though sometimes he has let a little bit of the frustration shine through:
- Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's interpretation of the Constitution. (Kelo v. New London)
And sometimes? Well, he senses that we're all onto him, but prattles on anyway:
- Admittedly, the original public understanding of a constitutional provision does not always comport with modern sensibilities...This, however, is not such a case. (Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association)
We can thank the Green Bag, a quarterly law review and creators of Supreme Court memorabilia, for releasing the Justice Thomas bobblehead. But maybe, instead of draping the Clarence Thomas bobblehead with a black robe, the Green Bag should have wrapped him up in some Puritan clothing with a copy of the Constitution tightly clutched in his hands. It is, after all, what he's known for.
Related Resources:
- Thomas Honored With Supreme Court Bobblehead (FindLaw's Supreme Court Blog)
- Clarence Thomas Too Biased to hear Obamacare? (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life)
- US Supreme Court Justice Breyer, 72, is on Twitter, Facebook (FindLaw's Legally Weird)