英语演讲稿OpeningStatement.docx
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英语演讲稿OpeningStatement
英语演讲稿:
OpeningStatement
SexualHarrassmentHearings
ConcerningJudgeClarenceThomas
Mr.Chairman,SenatorThurmond,membersofthecommittee,mynameisAnitaF.Hill,andIamaprofessoroflawattheUniversityofOklahoma.IwasbornonafarminOkmulgeeCounty,Oklahoma,in1956.Iamtheyoungestof13children.IhadmyearlyeducationinOkmulgeeCounty.Myfather,AlbertHill,isafarmerinthatarea.Mymother'snameisIrmaHill.Sheisalsoafarmerandahousewife.
Mychildhoodwasoneofalotofhardworkandnotmuchmoney,butitwasoneofsolidfamilyaffection,asrepresentedbymyparents.IwasrearedinareligiousatmosphereintheBaptistfaith,andIhavebeenamemberoftheAntiochBaptistChurchinTulsa,Oklahoma,since1983.Itisaverywarmpartofmylifeatthepresenttime.
Formyundergraduatework,IwenttoOklahomaStateUniversityandgraduatedfromtherein1977.Iamattachingtothisstatementacopyofmyresumeforfurtherdetailsofmyeducation.
IgraduatedfromtheuniversitywithacademichonorsandproceededtotheYaleLawSchool,whereIreceivedmyJDdegreein1980.Upongraduationfromlawschool,IbecameapracticinglawyerwiththeWashington,DC,firmofWard,Hardraker,andRoss.
In1981,IwasintroducedtonowJudgeThomasbyamutualfriend.JudgeThomastoldmethathewasanticipatingapoliticalappointment,andheaskedifIwouldbeinterestedinworkingwithhim.Hewas,infact,appointedasAssistantSecretaryofEducationforCivilRights.Afterhehadtakenthatpost,heaskedifIwouldbecomehisassistant,andIacceptedthatposition.
Inmyearlyperiodthere,Ihadtwomajorprojects.ThefirstwasanarticleIwroteforJudgeThomas'signatureontheeducationofminoritystudents.Thesecondwastheorganizationofaseminaronhigh-riskstudentswhichwasabandonedbecauseJudgeThomastransferredtotheEEOCwherehebecamethechairmanofthatoffice.
DuringthisperiodattheDepartmentofEducation,myworkingrelationshipwithJudgeThomaswaspositive.Ihadagooddealofresponsibilityandindependence.Ithoughtherespectedmyworkandthathetrustedmyjudgment.Afterapproximatelythreemonthsofworkingthere,heaskedmetogooutsociallywithhim.
Whathappenednextandtellingtheworldaboutitarethetwomostdifficultthings--experiencesofmylife.Itisonlyafteragreatdealofagonizingconsiderationandsleeplessnumber--agreatnumberofsleeplessnightsthatIamabletotalkoftheseunpleasantmatterstoanyonebutmyclosefriends.
IdeclinedtheinvitationtogooutsociallywithhimandexplainedtohimthatIthoughtitwouldjeopardizewhatatthetimeIconsideredtobeaverygoodworkingrelationship.Ihadanormalsociallifewithothermenoutsideoftheoffice.Ibelievedthen,asnow,thathavingasocialrelationshipwithapersonwhowassupervisingmyworkwouldbeill-advised.Iwasveryuncomfortablewiththeideaandtoldhimso.
Ithoughtthatbysayingnoandexplainingmyreasonsmyemployerwouldabandonhissocialsuggestions.However,tomyregret,inthefollowingfewweeks,hecontinuedtoaskmeoutonseveraloccasions.Hepressedmetojustifymyreasonsforsayingnotohim.Theseincidentstookplaceinhisofficeormine.Theywereintheformofprivateconversationswhichwouldnothavebeenoverheardbyanyoneelse.
MyworkingrelationshipbecameevenmorestrainedwhenJudgeThomasbegantouseworksituationstodiscusssex.Ontheseoccasions,hewouldcallmeintohisofficeforreportsoneducationissuesandprojects,orhemightsuggestthat,becauseofthetimepressuresofhisschedule,wegotolunchtoagovernmentcafeteria.Afterabriefdiscussionofwork,hewouldturntheconversationtoadiscussionofsexualmatters.
Hisconversationswereveryvivid.Hespokeaboutactsthathehadseeninpornographicfilmsinvolvingsuchmattersaswomenhavingsexwithanimalsandfilmsshowinggroupsexorrapescenes.Hetalkedaboutpornographicmaterialsdepictingindividualswithlargepenisesorlargebreastsinvolvedinvarioussexacts.Onseveraloccasions,Thomastoldmegraphicallyofhisownsexualprowess.
BecauseIwasextremelyuncomfortabletalkingaboutsexwithhimatallandparticularlyinsuchagraphicway,ItoldhimthatIdidnotwanttotalkaboutthesesubjects.Iwouldalsotrytochangethesubjecttoeducationmattersortononsexualpersonalmatterssuchashisbackgroundorhisbeliefs.Myeffortstochangethesubjectwererarelysuccessful.
Throughouttheperiodoftheseconversations,healsofromtimetotimeaskedmeforsocialengagements.Myreactiontotheseconversationswastoavoidthembyeliminatingopportunitiesforustoengageinextendedconversations.ThiswasdifficultbecauseatthetimeIwashisonlyassistantattheOfficeofEducation--orOfficeforCivilRights.
DuringthelatterpartofmytimeattheDepartmentofEducation,thesocialpressuresandanyconversationofhisoffensivebehaviorended.Ibeganbothtobelieveandhopethatourworkingrelationshipcouldbeaproper,cordial,andprofessionalone.
WhenJudgeThomaswasmadechairoftheEEOC,Ineededtofacethequestionofwhethertogowithhim.Iwasaskedtodoso,andIdid.Theworkitselfwasinteresting,andatthattimeitappearedthatthesexualovertureswhichhadsotroubledmehadended.IalsofacedtherealisticfactthatIhadnoalternativejob.WhileImighthavegonebacktoprivatepractice,perhapsinmyoldfirmoratanother,Iwasdedicatedtocivilrightswork,andmyfirstchoicewastobeinthatfield.Moreover,theDepartmentofEducationitselfwasadubiousventure.PresidentReaganwasseekingtoabolishtheentiredepartment.
FormyfirstmonthsattheEEOC,whereIcontinuedtobeanassistanttoJudgeThomas,therewerenosexualconversationsorovertures.However,duringthefallandwinterof1982,thesebeganagain.ThecommentswererandomandrangedfrompressingmeaboutwhyIdidn'tgooutwithhimtoremarksaboutmypersonalappearance.IrememberhissayingthatsomedayIwouldhavetotellhimtherealreasonthatIwouldn'tgooutwithhim.
Hebegantoshowdispleasureinhistoneandvoiceandhisdemeanorandhiscontinuedpressureforanexplanation.HecommentedonwhatIwaswearingintermsofwhetheritmadememoreorlesssexuallyattractive.TheincidentsoccurredinhisinnerofficeattheEEOC.
OneoftheoddestepisodesIrememberwasanoccasioninwhichThomaswasdrinkingaCokeinhisoffice.Hegotupfromthetableatwhichwewereworking,wentovertohisdesktogettheCoke,lookedatthecanandasked,"WhohaspubichaironmyCoke?
"Onotheroccasions,hereferredtothesizeofhisownpenisasbeinglargerthannormal,andhealsospokeonsomeoccasionsofthepleasureshehadgiventowomenwithoralsex.
Atthispoint,late1982,Ibegantofeelseverestressonthejob.IbegantobeconcernedthatClarenceThomasmighttakeouthisangerwithmebydegradingmeornotgivingmeimportantassignments.Ialsothoughtthathemightfindanexcusefordismissingme.
InJanuaryof1983,Ibeganlookingforanotherjob.IwashandicappedbecauseIfearedthat,ifhefoundout,hemightmakeitdifficultformetofindotheremploymentandImightbedismissedfromthejobIhad.Anotherfactorthatmademysearchmoredifficultwasthattherewasaperiod--thiswasduringaperiodofahiringfreezeinthegovernment.InFebruaryof1983,IwashospitalizedforfivedaysonanemergencybasisforacutestomachpainwhichIattributedtostressonthejob.
Onceoutofthehospital,IbecamemorecommittedtofindotheremploymentandsoughtfurthertominimizemycontactwithThomas.ThisbecameeasierwhenAllisonDuncan(sp)becameofficedirector,becausemostofmyworkwasthenfunneledthroughherandIhadcontactwithClarenceThomasmostlyinstaffmeetings.
Inthespringof1983,anopportunitytoteachatOralRobertsUniversityopenedup.Iparticipatedinaseminar--taughtanafternoonsessionandseminaratOralRobertsUniversity.ThedeanoftheuniversitysawmeteachingandinquiredastowhetherIwouldbeinterestedinfurthering--pursuingacareerinteaching,beginningatOralRobertsUniversity.IagreedtotakethejobinlargepartbecauseofmydesiretoescapethepressuresIfeltattheEEOCduetoJudgeThomas.
WhenIinformedhimthatIwasleavinginJuly,IrecallthathisresponsewasthatnowIwouldnolongerhaveanexcusefornotgoingoutwithhim.ItoldhimthatIstillpreferrednottodoso.Atsometimeafterthatmeeting,heaskedifhecouldtakemetodinnerattheendoftheterm.WhenIdeclined,heassuredmethatthedinnerwasaprofessionalcourtesyonlyandnotasocialinvitation.Ireluctantlyagreedtoacceptthatinvitation,butonlyifitwasattheeveryendofaworkingday.
On,asIrecall,thelastdayofmyemploymentattheEEOCinthesummerof1983,IdidhavedinnerwithClarenceThomas.Wewentdirectlyfromworktoarestaurantneartheoffice.WetalkedabouttheworkIhaddone,bothateducationandattheEEOC.HetoldmethathewaspleasedwithallofitexceptforanarticleandspeechthatIhaddoneforhimwhilewewereattheOfficeforCivilRights.Finally,hemadeacommentthatIwillvividlyremember.HesaidthatifIevertoldanyoneofhisbehaviorthatitwouldruinhiscareer.Thiswasnotanapology,norwasitanexplanation.Thatwashislastremarkaboutthepossibilityofourgoingoutorreferencetohisbehavior.
InJulyof1983,IleftWashington,DCareaandhavehadminimalcontactwithJudgeClarenceThomassince.Iamofcourseawarefromthepressthatsomequestionshavebeenraisedabout