The great Justice Clarence Thomas spoke about the death of his friend and Supreme Court colleague, Antonin Scalia, at the beginning of his keynote speech at the commencement for Hillsdale College today.
Watch below – his speech begins at about the 1:27:00 minute mark, which I have queued up:
Thomas laments how institutions that seemed absolute once are now passing away, saying “hallmarks of my youth, like patriotism and religion, seem like outliers.” He then proclaimed, “I admit to being unapologetically Catholic, unapologetically patriotic, and unapologetically a Constitutionalist.”
Thomas also talks about the philosophical underpinnings of the freedom and liberty that found their ultimate expression in the establishment of America. It’s a sober and serious speech, in contradiction to all the gimmicks and silliness of modern commencement speeches. It’s worth listening to.