The Book Club

Last night was our last book club meeting before school starts.
It was a good time of discussion about Supreme Court Justice, Clarence
Thomas' Memoir, My Grandfather's Son.

This was a good book to read. It makes you think about all
that has transpired in this Country in a relatively short period
of time. To think that when this man was born it would have been
unthinkable to him or his family that an African-American man would,
or could, ever sit on the Supreme Court. Then to observe through
Justice Thomas' writing so many of the changes that our Country
has come through.

Our children do not know the fear and pain of many African-Americans who
have suffered for simply having a different color of skin. It struck me
how Justice Thomas' Grandfather warned him that he might be arrested just
because of his appearance so he should stay off the streets and close to
home, where he was known.

Our children are much less likely to judge someone by their skin color today.
It is not a problem completely erased. However, as I look at our lives and the integration of many cultures into it I am so happy with the impact this has on the lives of our children.

This book talks of the deception and lack of integrity often found in our
Government. But it also spoke of good people in the Government
who followed through on their word and believed in what they knew of this man rather than what the media and those who were opposed to Justice Thomas attempted to portray. He spoke of the American People who listened to his words spoken
before the committee. Words of passion of a man wronged. These people heard
him and believed him. They refused to be led down a path of deception. Justice Thomas was moved by the strength he gleaned from those who believed in him.

I believe this is a great message for all of our lives. Our belief in each other and in our children goes much farther than we will ever realize.

One of the most moving portions in this book involved that lack of resolution between the relationship of Justice Thomas and his Grandfather, who had raised him.
I read this over and over as he says that this man was the one from whom he needed the most approval and yet he never received it. This caused anger and bitterness to rise up in his heart and took many years to resolve, and was never resolved with his grandfather. How careful we must be to not let those walls go up. To be the parents and grandparents we should be and set limits. To love unconditionally. This is not a paradox! By loving we do set limits but this does not mean that our children and grandchildren need to think that we will ever do anything less than love them wholeheartedly.

It breaks my heart to think that this grandfather who very obviously wanted the best for his grandson did not know how to display his inner feelings. I think that was a common problem during that era and may still be today. My grandfather had tendencies that way. It was not until he had passed on and I grew up a little that I understood how much he loved me. There was a lot of growling and a lot of discipline and very little affection. I know now that he loved us tremendously.

I would highly recommend this book to you. It is not always an easy book
to read. But the message in the book is so good and so strong.
Justice Thomas uses a lot of tact and dignity in dealing
with the Anita Hill topic.

He is truly a man of Grace.

We are blessed to have this man serving us on the United States Supreme Court.

It is my prayer that, as we will undoubtedly be replacing retiring Justices over the next several years, that God would provide others of this moral and ethical fiber.
We must be serious about finding Justices who will interpret the law...not write law. That job has been taken...this is why there is a Legislative Branch in our system of Government.
We need more Justices who will interpret the cases they are given based on the US Constitution, not on European Law. These are some of the pitfalls of our Court System today.

Our next book is, The Shack. This book is controversial and has a waiting list of 91 people in our library system. We are hoping it will bring in some new participants and that there will be a healthy discussion.

Have a great day!