Joining the millionaires club of US Supreme Court Justices, Clarence Thomas becomes a part of that elite inner circle by getting a book contract for over a million dollars.

These types of contracts are not new; that is why many high government officials take relatively low paying jobs that they may later make large sums of money on book deals, etc.

Last week it was announced that HarperCollins Publishers offered Clarence Thomas, the only Black US Supreme Court Justice, over $1 million to write his memoirs from his childhood through the Anita Hill confirmation scandal.

Thomas should receive as much as he can get for the difficulty of his youth and life--a sort of reparations. It will be interesting to see if his views are changing after 10-years on the Court. Of late Justice Thomas is asking more questions and offering more comments. Does that action also mean he will cease being Scilia's second vote? That is a topic of much discussion.

His memoirs may give some clues to what his views are on a number of issues. The Anita Hill scandal is behind him and us; what his views are on the more important issues of Civil Rights, affirmative action, white privilege, and others will be interesting to determine. How have they changed over these 10-years?

People grow and change; in spite of the demonizing him, Thomas is also a human being; maybe he has changed significantly. If so, what has produced that growth? Has that growth given him a greater sensitivity to the needs of the poor and oppressed? Has he grown legally? These are some questions we may be able to garner insight on from his memoirs whenever it's published.

And since everyone else is getting large sums of money for telling us about themselves, there is no reason Clarence Thomas should not be paid equally as well to write his memoirs. [] See Thomas Speaks Up

Simond Griote