ManicDDaily

I am torn between feelings of anger and pity for Virginia Thomas (wife of Clarence Thomas).

Mrs. Thomas apparently called Anita Hill’s office at 7:31 a.m. on the Saturday of Columbus Day Weekend to leave the following message:  “Good morning Anita Hill, it’s Ginni Thomas.  I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometimes and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband.  So give it some thought. And certainly pray about this and hope that one day you will help us understand why you did what you did. OK, have a good day.”

Ms. Thomas later portrayed this message as “extending an olive branch,” also saying that “the offer still stands.”

Let’s start with the anger/irritation piece.  (That’s usually more fun.)   I would tend to characterize a request that someone apologize and pray about all the bad things they supposedly did as more of a hickory switch than “an olive branch.”  Do olives grow on pricker bushes?  (Slight pun intended.)

Which begs the bigger question: why does Mrs. Thomas think Ms. Hill should apologize?   Ms. Hill was the one harassed.  Mr. Thomas got a celebrated job for life.

And why does Ms. Thomas want an explanation of what Ms. Hill did “with” her husband?

Ah–now pity/compassion springs into gear.    One can only think that the woman must live in continuing doubt, anger, delusion.

As further evidence of these extremely uncomfortable states–the recorded message.   Surely, Mrs. Thomas must have understood that it would likely become public, and too, that it would highlight the very incidents that seem to haunt her.

One would think that she might also have realized that the call would draw further attention to her political activities, as head of Liberty Central, a Tea Party-esque group, in receipt of hundreds of thousands in unidentified donations.  (Just in case you were wondering, the group, according to its chief operating officer and general counsel, has “internal reviews and protections to ensure that no donor causes a conflict of interest for either Ginni or her husband.”)

Oh good.  (One can only pray, and hope, that “conflict of interest” is not interpreted through the same lens as “olive branch.”)

PS – In fairness, I worry that the message as reported may not be accurate.  Maybe Mrs. Thomas actually said that she certainly prayed and hoped that Ms. Hill would meet her request and not that Ms. Hill should pray and hope.   This would change the tenor of the message; if I’m passing on misinformation, I genuinely do apologize.

This entry was posted on October 19, 2010 at 9:55 pm and is filed under news, Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: Anita Hill, Call from Mrs. Thomas to Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill, Ginni Thomas, Ginni Thomas fundraising, Liberty Central, manicddaily, ManicDDaily painting, Mrs. Thomas' request that Anita Hill apologize, sexual harassment