英语演讲Opening Statement.docx

英语演讲Opening Statement.docx

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英语演讲OpeningStatement

英语演讲：

OpeningStatement

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.Iamofco