{"id":31,"date":"2009-03-20T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2009-03-20T14:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/2009\/03\/20\/march-25-april-1-2009-americans-less-willing-to-sacrifice-supreme-court-justice-thomas-says\/"},"modified":"2009-08-27T11:43:32","modified_gmt":"2009-08-27T16:43:32","slug":"march-25-april-1-2009-americans-less-willing-to-sacrifice-supreme-court-justice-thomas-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/faithlens\/march-25-april-1-2009-americans-less-willing-to-sacrifice-supreme-court-justice-thomas-says\/","title":{"rendered":"March 25-April 1, 2009 – Americans less willing to sacrifice, Supreme Court Justice Thomas Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Contributed by Jennifer Krausz<\/em><\/strong>
\nBethlehem, PA<\/p>\n

Warm-up Question:<\/strong> <\/span>Who has ever sacrificed something for you? What was it? How did you feel about it?<\/p>\n

When Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was growing up, he says he constantly heard messages like \u201cLearn to do without,\u201d \u201cPrepare for a rainy day,\u201d and \u201cNo one owes you a living.\u201d In a speech given at Washington and Lee University, Thomas told an audience of nearly 400 that \u201cthose truths permeated our lives.\u201d When John F. Kennedy urged Americans to serve their country rather than look to be served, he said, \u201cIt all made sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Justice Thomas contrasted the messages of his boyhood with the attitudes of today. \u201cThese days, there seems to be little emphasis on responsibility, sacrifice and self-denial,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cRarely do we hear a message of sacrifice, unless it is used as a justification of taxation of others or a transfer of wealth to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his speech, Thomas blamed the \u201cme\u201d generation of the 1960s for the shift from service and sacrifice to selfishness and self-indulgence. \u201cToday the message seems to be, \u2018Ask not what you can do for yourselves and your country, but what your country can do for you,\u2019\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n

Thomas made the rare public appearance at the request of student Robin Wright, a senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, whose mother is a federal judge. Although he did not mention any political party or specific politician by name, he did make it clear that he thinks people are too quick to look to the government for help when hard times come. \u201cOur country and our principles are more important than our individual wants,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Discussion Questions<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n