Our bittersweet 16 - By Anita F. Hill

Our bittersweet 16
By Anita F. Hill
November 19, 2007

WITHIN DAYS of my testimony in Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court confirmation hearing, my office was flooded with them. Dear Professor Hill, "I screamed at the television set." "I sobbed throughout." "I was mesmerized." "I am still seething." Though often expressed in raw and emotional terms, the letters offer incredibly thoughtful commentary on the hearing and the issues and people involved. Today, as I reread them, each in its own way begs the question: Have things really improved since October 1991?

I never stop hearing from people about the hearings. Last month, when Thomas published his memoir, nearly 600 e-mails came within two days time. I have about 25,000 letters, cards, handwritten notes on bits of paper passed through crowds and, lately, e-mail messages. In them, my testimony is complimented by some and intensely condemned by others. Though certain sentiments recur, there is no typical letter. Each tells a unique and personal story and some are laugh-out-loud funny. Whenever I think I've read enough, a letter, like the one I received recently from a 95-year-old veteran, reminds me of the importance of each message and encourages me to keep reading.

Like present-day blogs, the letters show the gulf between public discourse and private perceptions and experiences. On Oct. 12, 1991, the headline from the Washington Times read: "He said, she said: Thomas and Hill state their cases." In the privacy of their homes, individuals saw chaos and a firestorm, not the ordered search for truth the paper coolly described.

As the hearing opened, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Joseph Biden, declared: "This is not a hearing about the extent and nature of sexual harassment in America." It is convened "to air specific allegations against one specific individual." Yet, from day one, for many women and men, the hearing was a test of whether elected public officials understood not just my experience but the experiences of working women throughout the country.

more at:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/11/19/our_bittersweet_16/

I wonder what Anita Hill thinks of Joe Biden today.

yet, my memories of Prof. Hill remaining calm in that storm is imprinted in my memory forever.

And delivering to the nation Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

And don't forget Snarlin' Arlen either.