On Monday night, Stephen Colbert of CBS’s The Late Show decided to take a swipe at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and the Tennessee Republican party. Colbert suggested that Thomas’s friend, Harlan Crow, was a Nazi sympathizer because of his collection of Adolf Hitler artifacts and Nazi memorabilia. He then went on to accuse the Tennessee GOP of racism for expelling two Democratic lawmakers for their role in shutting down legislative proceedings.
But is Colbert’s narrative accurate? Is it really reasonable to assume that Crow is a Nazi sympathizer just because he has a few Hitler artifacts? Collecting artifacts from our enemies is not unheard of, and it is important to note that Crow’s collection not only includes Nazi items, but also artifacts from the SS Athenia, the first British ship sunk by the Germans in World War II. His mother was aboard at the time of its sinking.
Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge that the Tennessee Republicans expelled two of three Democrats for their role in disrupting legislative proceedings, not for their race. While some may argue that this was a racist act, the fact is that the GOP was simply enforcing their rules and punishing those who violated them.
It is also important to remember that Justice Thomas is an African American conservative, and it is not uncommon for Democrats to attack black conservatives because they do not fit the narrative that they are trying to push. The liberal influencers like Colbert who push this kind of disinformation are doing a disservice to those who are trying to have an honest, respectful debate.
When it comes right down to it, Colbert’s attempt to play the race card on Thomas and the Tennessee GOP is baseless and irresponsible. As a society, it is important to have honest, respectful debates. But in order to have these debates, we must be willing to look at the facts and avoid making unsubstantiated assumptions.