Is silence really golden?

I’ve been reading the recent news articles about Clarence Thomas and his tenure as a Supreme.  I really can’t think of anything good to say about him – or anything bad.  The problem is he doesn’t do anything.  Or say anything.  Unless he’s taking the proverb about opening one’s mouth and proving oneself a fool to heart.  I remember listening to his confirmation hearings on NPR – and all that flap about Anita Hill.  My friend Beverly said that Ms. Hill was just mad because Mr. Thomas dumped her for a white woman.  There may have been some truth in that, but you'd think that someone who went through such personally revealing confirmation hearings would work harder at proving himself worthy of his appointment to the Court.  Just saying.