# SCOTUS Wife Virginia Thomas asks Anita Hill to apologize - WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 20, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798 "2010-10-20T16:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 36
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/701 "2010-10-27T23:57:02Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The problem being, Hill had a job, at the Department of Education. She was in no danger of losing that job - the part where she claimed otherwise was a lie. No danger? Hill noted in her testimony that there was a genuine concern that there may not _be_ a Federal Department of Education if Ronald Reagan managed to follow through on his campaign promises to abolish it. The department itself was brand-new, established in the latter half of the Carter adminsitration and seen (perhaps not entirely unfairly) by Republicans as a boondoggle. Reagan mentioned abolishment of the D of E in his first state of the union address. Hill was certainly in danger of losing her job, as was everyone else in the department. > [@Ronald Reagan](#): > > The budget plan I submit to you on Feb. 8 will realize major savings by dismantling the Departments of Energy and Education… [Transcript](http://www.nationalcenter.org/ReaganStateofUnion82.html), [Video link - go to 16:36](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QFLsxeEl5I) I consider this a solid refutation, unless you want to counter that Reagan didn’t really mean it. ---
**Author:** ![margin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@margin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/margin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/702 "2010-10-28T00:08:20Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > That’s correct, but the method of examining the claim doesn’t change. The claim was that regardless of whether you felt Hill was lying or telling the truth, Thomas’ action was tone deaf. > > How do you discuss such a claim? Obviously the same way that Mike and Tom tested their battery: by subjecting the claim to the extreme case it claims. As I acknowledged early on, if we assume Hill was telling the truth, it’s an easy case to analyze; clearly Thomas has nothing to stand on. But that’s not what was meant by “regardless of how you feel.” Assuming Hill was telling the truth does not meaningfully test “regardless of how you feel.” > > It’s true that “Margin,” in my little play is not portrayed sympathetically, and I’ll even cop to the fact that this character is supposed to represent you. Somehow, you cracked my clever code. Finally, yes, I admit the character - and you - are called nutty. > > But unless you found the discarded draft on my office floor which has you, Tom, and Mike, engaging in a hot hree-way with DP and ass-to-mouth scenes, I’m going to have to deny the charge that I made your character in any way slutty. > > But I’m happy to rectify that in Scene 2, where the laboratory supervisor and his pet Doberman arrive for a visit. How will Margin convince him not to test the battery? We can only imagine. You do realize that this moves you even further from the way you wish to be regarded, correct? And it proves my point, down to the last particle? Basically, you’re threatening to harass me in a sexual way against my will. You have no deniability here. Nor do you have the honor that you like to be perceived as having. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/703 "2010-10-28T00:23:53Z")
> [@margin](#): > > You do realize that this moves you even further from the way you wish to be regarded, correct? And it proves my point, down to the last particle? Basically, you’re threatening to harass me in a sexual way against my will. You have no deniability here. Nor do you have the honor that you like to be perceived as having. No, I can’t really say that I do realize it. On the contrary, you’ve made two basic claims: - That my hypothetical assuming Hill lied is unfair and one-sided; - That my treatment of you in the post 694 was sexist I regard the first point as being completely refuted, and the second as absurd, although your accusation did cause me to toss some sexist barbs at you in post 698. Given your earlier inveighing against me in reasonably harsh terms, though, I can’t say that I’m especially contrite. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/704 "2010-10-28T00:29:44Z")
Of course you do, dear, of course you do. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![margin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@margin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/margin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/705 "2010-10-28T00:31:23Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No, I can’t really say that I do realize it. On the contrary, you’ve made two basic claims: > > - That my hypothetical assuming Hill lied is unfair and one-sided; > - That my treatment of you in the post 694 was sexist > > I regard the first point as being completely refuted, and the second as absurd, although your accusation did cause me to toss some sexist barbs at you in post 698. Given your earlier inveighing against me in reasonably harsh terms, though, I can’t say that I’m especially contrite. It’s been proven to anybody without a basis that Hill did not lie and Thomas did. So: wrong. Your treatment was sexist. I have a news flash for you, bucko: I get to be the one who decides on what how treatment meted out to me is assessed, just as Anita Hill does. You and Shodan and whomever else can argue about teensy little technicalities, but as someone else noted of Shodan, if you have to do that, you don’t have a case. And you may think you are master of all knowledge, but you obviously don’t know anything about sexism. The type of shit you’re slinging around is just as much sexist as any racist who thinks ‘bell curve’ and ‘welfare queen’ will get him off the hook. Your threat to write porn about me without my consent and because you can’t win without such shenanigans indicates that you are the absolute last person who should be discussing sexual harassment and its victims. What’s disgusting and more than a little sad is that you simply don’t grasp that. You threatened to pornify a person. That’s vile, and if you had any honor you’d admit it. That was inappropriate and dishonorable. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/706 "2010-10-28T00:32:56Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Hey, you were given plenty of reasons why you were wrong, so your rolleyes is only for yourself. See above about being unable to get the point, Mr. Terminally Lame. :rolleyes: But hey, if you want to keep showing it to everyone here, go right ahead. I’ll just keep chuckling ruefully. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/707 "2010-10-28T00:33:14Z")
> [@margin](#): > > You threatened to pornify a person. That’s vile, and if you had any honor you’d admit it. That was inappropriate and dishonorable. Or you’re being a bit crazypants. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/708 "2010-10-28T00:34:37Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > See above about being unable to get the point, Mr. Terminally Lame. :rolleyes: > > But hey, if you want to keep showing it to everyone here, go right ahead. I’ll just keep chuckling ruefully. It’s astonishing to me that you can’t see you are the softer (brained) side of Bricker. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/709 "2010-10-28T00:34:43Z")
“A little bit nutty”, that is? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/710 "2010-10-28T00:37:10Z")
> [@margin](#): > > Your threat to write porn about me without my consent And the porn would be lies! And you’d be objectifying margin! It’d be an attempt to socially margin-lies him! Her? Whatever! Seriously, margin, chill the fuck out. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/711 "2010-10-28T00:37:21Z")
I’m kinda hoping that the slutty one is the girl. Force of habit. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/712 "2010-10-28T00:38:20Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I’m kinda hoping that the slutty one is the girl. Force of habit. Force? Habit? Nun rapist! NUN RAPIST! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/713 "2010-10-28T00:43:23Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > It’s astonishing to me that you can’t see you are the softer (brained) side of Bricker. Perhaps you ought to find out what the true topic of discussion (or attempted discussion, anyway; **Bryan** does not and cannot get it) was there, honey. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/714 "2010-10-28T00:47:59Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > See above about being unable to get the point, Mr. Terminally Lame. :rolleyes: > > But hey, if you want to keep showing it to everyone here, go right ahead. I’ll just keep chuckling ruefully. What point do you think is escaping me? Your claim of “the 9/11 perps were safely based in Montreal” is blatantly untrue. I don’t recall a single person (including you) offering any evidence in support, and when confronted by a significant amount of contradictory evidence (part of which, I recall, being that none of the 9/11 hijackers had ever even _been_ to Montreal, so you extended “perps” to include two peripheral actors with limited 9/11 connections who’d been here briefly but had since fled), your response was (as it is currently) to become childish about it, preferring the thumb-sucking comfort of your own lies to the scary maturing effect of reality. When Shodan or Bricker or anyone else does this, I’ll call them on it, too. After this thread, I’ll go back to just ignoring you, until a similar chain of events occurs when you deserve to get called out again, having obviously learned nothing. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/715 "2010-10-28T00:48:32Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Perhaps you ought to find out what the true topic of discussion (or attempted discussion, anyway) was there, honey. Oh, I’m pretty sure I know the topic, snookiewiggles. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/716 "2010-10-28T01:14:26Z")
“Pornify” is my new favorite word. I’m going to use it as often as possible over the next week. “Fuck me? No pornify you!” “How’d the meeting go?” … “I totally got pornified.” “Any big plans for the weekend?” … “I’ll probably just chill out, watch a little football, pornify the weasel. You know … the usual.” Shit like that. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/717 "2010-10-28T01:19:20Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > “Pornify” is my new favorite word. I’m going to use it as often as possible over the next week. > > “Fuck me? No pornify you!” > > “How’d the meeting go?” … “I totally got pornified.” > > “Any big plans for the weekend?” … “I’ll probably just chill out, watch a little football, pornify the weasel. You know … the usual.” > > Shit like that. I think you just sexually harassed someone. I’m not sure exactly who was next up, but I’ll check the roster and let you know. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/718 "2010-10-28T01:21:19Z")
Well, Jack, on a related note, I invite you to peruse [this old post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10626942) of mine… ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/719 "2010-10-28T01:39:24Z")
> [@margin](#): > > You threatened to pornify a person. That’s vile, and if you had any honor you’d admit it. That was inappropriate and dishonorable. Yes. Yes, I did. I… I threatened to pornify you. I’m so ashamed. Or, possibly, amused. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798/720 "2010-10-28T01:49:23Z")
I can never resist an invitaton to pornify. I’m just a boy who can’t say nnnnn…nnnnnn…nnnnn…damn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798.md?page=35) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scotus-wife-virginia-thomas-asks-anita-hill-to-apologize-wtf/557798.md?page=37)