Quotes from Clarence Thomas

I grew up in a religious environment, and I'm proud of it. I was going to be a priest; I'm proud of it. And I thank God I believe in God, or I would probably be enormously angry right now.

And I thank God I believe in God, or I would probably be enormously angry right now.

Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.

My grandfather was a man, when he talked about freedom, his attitude was really interesting. His view was that you had obligations or you had responsibilities, and when you fulfilled those obligations or responsibilities, that then gave you the liberty to do other things.

And I don't think that government has a role in telling people how to live their lives. Maybe a minister does, maybe your belief in God does, maybe there's another set of moral codes, but I don't think government has a role.

My grandfather could barely read. My grandmother had a sixth-grade education. They were people who were industrious. They were frugal.

I think, though, if I had to look at the role of government and what it does in people's lives, I see the EEOC as having much more legitimacy than the others, if properly run.

Oh, I don't think Tom Sowell would tell anybody to join the administration. That's not his style. But I think his attitude has always been if it had to be done he'd prefer me to do it than somebody else.

When you look at where the real problems are among minorities in our society, particularly blacks, it's at the bottom. It's the people who are in school systems that don't educate, neighborhoods where there is a lot of crime, drugs, the whole bit.

Government cannot make us equal it can only recognize, respect, and protect us as equal before the law.

My grandfather, as I said, was industrious. He'd had a variety of jobs and decided sometime in the 1940s that he would never work for anyone. He was also a very independent man.

When I went into the seminary, I was one of those victims of New Math and had not had Algebra I and had no idea what we were doing in New Math in the ninth grade. But when I went into the seminary, they had gone the traditional route and taught first-year algebra.

My grandfather was a man, when he talked about freedom, his attitude was really interesting. His view was that you had obligations or you had responsibilities, and when you fulfilled those obligations or responsibilities, that then gave you the liberty to do other things.

I disagree with the prevailing point of view of some black leaders that special treatment for blacks is acceptable.

I' been very partial to Malcolm X, particularly his self-help teachings.

But what I believe is that if a person's individual rights or right to be a part of our economic system is violated under statute, we aggressively go after it. But we don't issue mandates to businesses that you've got to do this and you've got to do that.

My grandfather could barely read. My grandmother had a sixth-grade education. They were people who were industrious. They were frugal.

When I was a kid, we said that we were precluded from going to certain neighborhoods because of the color of our skin¦ Now the neighborhoods are the neighborhoods of ideas, youre not supposed to be there because ¦ of the color of your skin.