Original subtitles

You're not concerned.

Why should you be concerned?

Why should you enlightened Anglos put yourselves out for another culture, for

another skin, for another guy's fight, huh?

You're only reflecting the apathy and indifference of your own...

Surrealistic upbringing.

You professional bigots.

It bugs you to hear the truth, Bob, but you're going to hear it now.

Because we, the Mexican -Americans of this campus, in this city, in all the

cities of these three United States, are sick of second -class citizenship.

students in the school.

Put a propeller on him. Are you just outside?

Shut up!

Shut up!

I speak for all the Mexican -Americans in the Bay Area.

For us, you don't. We don't want you.

Hey,

you! Hey!

Hey, man!

You black cats got your Uncle Tom's life.

Thank you.

You just walked out, just like that. You took no further action. I couldn't.

Why? I don't know.

What about the storekeeper?

Hasn't she the right to protection under the law?

I'm not a cop. I'm just a guy. A guy like they were.

I see.

No, you don't see. They were taking books about themselves, about their

Except for the one who almost had his fingers in the till.

You aren't just a little biased about this, are you, Mr. Sanger?

Okay. Okay.

So I could blow the whistle on you. Now, what good would that do?

Someday, hopefully, you will finish growing up.

When you finally do, you'll have to make up your mind as to what you are or what

you want to be.

You're either going to be a defense counsel, a police officer, or a social

worker, but you can't be all of those at one time.

Mark, whatever their motivation, those boys were taking another person's

property while you stood by moralizing.

Now, I'd like you to ask yourself why.

I'd like you to honestly ask yourself why.

I think he wants a library card.

Pa' los libros africanos.

If you've got a liberation movement going on around here, there are a couple

things missing on your walls.

Like what?

Like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X.

There's nothing missing around here. This is our movement.

We don't need you on our wall, or in our hair, or anywhere else.

Revolution.

Justice. All the big truths, right?

Right.

Well, I have four $500 worth of books here.

$562 .87.

If you're hip for figures.

Personally, the only figure I dig is Dolores.

And you're all guilty of grand theft. That's a felony.

It's murder.

You ought to see her in a bikini, hey, Linda?

Look, I'm trying to tell you that you are all guilty of grand theft. Look,

if you're going to have a free library, you've got to have a free book, right?

Now let's just call it the community's contribution to culture.

You guys have really been busy, huh?

Yeah, well, liberating a few books is one thing, but

furnishing a whole pad, that's something else.

You must have really been laughing out on campus this morning when I was

up all that brown.

Brotherhood Chicano jazz.

That why you cooled it in the bookstore?

Man, I thought you'd really blow out when I laid it on those two yellow chili

pods and gave you the Uncle Tom shot.

Well, that's exactly what you wanted, right? For the whole thing to blow. It

blew!

But not hard enough.

Not nearly hard enough. Not half as hard as it's gonna blow when we really get

going. When Manolo's rolling, baby, you're gonna see something.

Chicano power, man.

You black cats think you know how to put Whitey down.

Well, you ain't seen it yet.

It's gonna be a second Alamo with us inside this time. Quiet!

Okay, amigo.

Free show's over. Split.

You heard him.

Go get yourself some chitlins.

How'd you know that's what I had for lunch?

Look, you cats could have something here. Something beautiful.

Like that sign up there says, freedom for all people.

Instead, all you've got is a bag full of hate and an ape to beat up on those who

don't happen to agree with you. Why, you black...

You're no killer. No!

I'll take him.

one of the few reasons a perfectly sane man will risk having his brain bashed

up.

Words may sound a bit old -fashioned in these days of moonshots, mind -washing,

and other more sophisticated pastimes, but some of us, some of us seem to be

enjoying a new flare -up of the old spirit.

That old spirit could get somebody killed.

I thought... Yes, Ed.

I see.

What about the others?

Yes, yes, I... All right, you hang there and keep me

posted.

What is it?

Mark, I asked Ed to check out your friends, the Blue Berets.

They're a small, highly vocal group of young Mexican -American college dropouts

whose new mission in life is preaching revolution and social advancement for

their people.

No major infractions of the law, no serious encounters with the police, no

individual records, just a handful of young people with ideals striving for a

better society.

Until now.

Now? Now, they're all under arrest.

Those books?

The charge is conspiracy to commit treason.

Attempting to overthrow the government of California by force and arms.

We have absolutely no reason to connect the Blue Berets with those gun shop

robberies in the Oakland Bay Area.

It was a break we never expected.

There's enough stuff here to fight a war.

Government surplus.

Stolen from a warehouse in South Toledo. Chief, you don't think those kids would

really use this?

You don't think they stole it just to look at it, do you? This was a plot.

A systematic, well -organized attempt to implement some sort of guerrilla

warfare involving the schools, the police, and the people of this state.

These books, they're full of notes.

A diagram of the state university.

Administrative data.

Profiles of state officials, educators, and other key people.

They knew what they were doing. Lieutenant Rambo, Sergeant Brown tells

originally went to the Blue Beret headquarters on the verbal complaints of

several merchants who suspected the group of pilfering small items from

stores. That's right.

I take it you did go there with search or arrest warrants. Just what are you

getting at, Bob?

Well, stolen guns are one thing, Commissioner, but proving conspiracy is

another. Especially when all the suspects are underage.

Whose side are you on, anyway? The side of the law.

Don't you quote the law to me, Ironside. Jack, did you secure the warrants or

didn't you?

You know the department order for cases like this and you ignore it.

And the result might be that you've blown your whole case right out of

I'm a policeman, not a politician or a high -priced shyster.

I've got two kids ready for college right now.

And I'm not going to stand by doing nothing while a bunch of punks go around

shooting up the country. Not if I can help it.

I'll be in my office, Commissioner.

As Gilbert and Sullivan once observed, a policeman's lot is not a happy one.

And it's not getting any simpler.

That's why I asked you here, Bob.

Rambo's discovery has troubled a lot of people.

Get questions to which we have no answers.

Repercussions being felt all the way into the office of the mayor.

Now down to ours.

I need your help, Bob.

I want you to enter this investigation.

Legally, the kids are minors.

Rambo has gone as far as he can, but he's been going nowhere.

Now we've got to find out whether it was just a few hot -headed kids.

Or whether it's a statewide conspiracy.

I suppose I'm old -fashioned enough to feel a friend deserves some special

privileges.

Thank you, Bob. I knew I could count on you.

Ed, I want to check on the families of those kids. School records, personal

attachments. Chapter and verse.

Why don't I talk with the girl?

Dolores. Yeah, ask her about the boy, the berets, their plans, anything

put this in focus.

Thank you.

Hooking, Sergeant.

Ironside.

You have a prisoner named Manuel Rodriguez.

Yes, sir.

Hold him at INR. I'll be down in a few minutes.

I want to talk to him. How long?

Right, sir.

All right, Mark.

You won't get much out of that kid. He's in a real machismo bag.

A what?

Machismo.

It's a term often heard among Spanish -speaking people, especially those

in the old country tradition.

It means manhood. With a capital M. That's how the kid spells it, too. Only

all capitals.

So you know what's right.

You weren't a lousy fuzz after all.

I never got the big fuzz with us. Chief Ironside.

What happened? Did he break his back chasing bad guys?

The sooner we dispense with the sarcasm, the sooner we'll be able to get down to

something constructive.

You don't like cops, that's duly noted.

For your information, Mark's not officially in the department, but he

with me.

For your information, Chief, I don't need information and I don't give

information.

All the enemy gets is name, rank, serial number.

And where are the enemies?

Manuel Rodriguez, chairman of the New Mexican -American Liberation Force,

one. I suppose all the agitation, the stealing, the strutting around in those

berets makes you feel very tough. That's a rumor going around. Some of those

oatmeal faces on campus, and some of the square -wheeled faculty members they

support, and some of your cops.

They think I'm tough, and that's why they want to put me away to shut me up.

Even if they have to frame me.

even if they have to hang a phony rap on me and my people. Your people.

There's an interesting subject for you, your people. Let's talk about your

people.

Nearly one million Mexican -Americans in this state who don't own berets or

steal guns. I don't have to listen to you. Who try to go to work each day, who

try to raise decent, God -loving families. I don't have to listen to you

anymore. Afraid? No, I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not afraid of

anything or anybody.

I'll tell you about my people.

They're their own worst enemies.

Stupid, docile, stultified by tradition, working always against their own best

interests and proud of their stupidity.

You don't have to use a whip on them.

You just tell them about honor. Tell them about God and put the stars and

stripes in front of them. They'll put the chains around their own necks.

And you love them.

I love my people.

And I hate them.

If I had to, I would tear down everything to make them into what they

Mr. Rodriguez, what should they be?

What they have a right to be.

As Americans.

I'm not one of your Uncle Tacos. Those brown dogs who change their spots from

brown to white.

Those teal tacos who call themselves... Spanish because they're ashamed of their

brown skin.

You know what Spanish is where I come from?

A Mexican with money.

And when they've really made it, they call themselves Californianos.

And they get to ride in parades.

That's distinction. That's class, baby.

Well, that's changing.

Bernie, Dolores, Liano, Gob, and me, we're Indians.

And the Indians were here before Lee Erickson, before Columbus, before

the whole Mayflower, or before the first boatload of your cats, man.

So we claim priority to everything.

And if we measure up, you'll let us exist here?

I'll think about it.

All right, Mr. Carter, the next arrangement.

Let's get on with it.

You're on to the next.

The defendant has rejected the services of the public defender.

Well, that's his prerogative.

Is the defendant represented by any counsel?

He wishes to represent himself, Your Honor.

The case of Manuel Rodriguez.

Bailiff, escort the defendant to the bench.

Manuel Rodriguez?

No.

I am Manuel Rodriguez.

You will mind your manners in this court or I will find you in contempt.

Manuel Rodriguez, you've heard the charges against you. How do you plead?

I, Manuel Rodriguez...

Charge you, your stormtrooper cops, and military mercenaries, and the entire

white Anglo population of this country with unlawful seizure, illegal

piracy, and imperialism.

I charge you with murder. You are not going to use this courtroom as a

With the destruction of the dignity and minds of millions of black, bronze, and

yellow citizens of this country. You cannot use this courtroom for the

I repeat, you cannot. Who are you to sit up there passing judgments over people

you don't even know, lording it over the whole world? Order!

You're only a judge because some politician owed you a favor. Order! This

thing's a big crock, and if you think I'm going to stand up here and play

and jury with you, you've blown your breath.

I don't know why you chose me. But I find you in contempt, and I sentence you

30 days in jail. I'll teach you to respect authority.

I don't recognize your authority.

California was stolen from Mexico by force. I demand a Mexican trial.

Take your pants off. This arrangement is continued.

Sale is denied.

Now I know your justice.

And millions of partners like you out by their tongues and strung them up from

the nearest lamppost.

In 20 years on the bench, I have never witnessed such outrageous, disgraceful

conduct. This court is adjourned.

Well, they're off my hands now.

At least until the preliminary hearings.

I don't envy you two your job.

The revolution's all yours now.

Good luck.

You'll need it.

The bail's been arranged, boys.

See you in court.

I'd like to talk to you, gentlemen.

I don't speak English.

Miss Sanchez.

Miss Sanchez.

We'd like to speak with you, please.

Why? We want to help Manuel Rodriguez.

Manolo can take care of himself.

Can he?

Who are you, anyway? What's your bag?

I'm Officer Eve Whitfield. This is Sergeant Ed Brown.

We're members of Chief Ironside's Special Investigation Squad.

We're Mark's friends.

That's how the cops found us in the first place.

If you think Mark had anything to do with that, then you don't know him.

Why do you think we're here?

Why do you think Chief Ironside took a special interest in your case in the

first place?

It was because Mark wanted him to.

I guess I was wrong.

Watching you up there in the box, I could have sworn you cared a great deal

about Manolo.

Who would you know about my feelings?

I'm a woman.

And I know that if I cared about somebody, I wouldn't turn my back on

You don't know Manolo.

He doesn't want any help.

I'm not turning my back on him.

I'd do anything to help. Then why don't you?

Why don't you help us?

Help him?

I know how to reach Manolo's father.

You mean... My son didn't ask for me to come here?

No, Mr. Rodriguez.

How long is it since you've seen Manolo?

He came home for his mother's funeral just four months ago. Did you know he'd

dropped out of school since then?

No. And you've known nothing at all about this Blue Beret organization?

No, nothing.

I wish we could have spared you all this, Mr. Rodriguez, but the boys left

other way.

We can't prove it, but Manolo's playing some sort of... cat and mouse game with

the law.

We believe he's deliberately trying to make a martyr of himself.

Baiting, trying to force the law into making a mistake which will prove his

charges of injustice.

Please, I want to see him.

Will you take me to my son?

Your father's traveled a long way to see you. All the way from the moon.

Manuel, I have come to help you.

He's come to help me.

Look at him.

He's come to help me.

Did you know my father was a war hero?

Yes.

Him, that father right there.

Twenty -three years ago, on Iwo Jima, Sergeant Manuel Rodriguez, U .S. Marine

Corps, made a famous stand high atop a single hill alone.

Tell them, Papa.

Tell them the way Mother used to tell me so proudly.

How did the citation go?

All alone.

For one whole day and night. With rifle, machine gun, grenade, and finally only

with his bayonet. Manolo, that's enough.

Sergeant Rodriguez held his position.

Refusing to surrender or retreat.

Until his comrades could reorganize.

and counterattack successfully.

And therefore, for conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty,

Sergeant Rodriguez is hereby awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Well, don't look so surprised.

Didn't you know that more Mexican Americans have won the Medal of Honor

other ethnic group?

It's true.

Now, Papa, you tell Chief Ironside and Mr. Mark here

how much the bank was willing to loan you on that medal when Mama was in the

hospital dying and it took everything we had to pay the bills.

You tell them how her heart was broken watching you bury your manhood behind a

flunky smile, sweeping other people's floors, cleaning other people's toilets.

Like a peon.

Inferior, docile, second best.

I'd hardly call a man who holds his country's highest decoration inferior,

docile, or second best. Listen to the great white chief sitting in his chair.

cripple. I've heard about you in this bucket.

Robert T.

Ironside. The iron cop. Bullets couldn't stop.

Watch out for him, they say. He's puffed. They busted his back. They put

that chair, but they couldn't bust his spirit.

Look at that man, Papa.

The fierce gringo.

The breed that cleared the prairie of Buffalo and Indian, that built empires

where only Adobe stood, and then crushed the pride out of the sons of Montezuma.

That's the breed that runs this rotten country!

I won't hear you say another word against my country.

Not from you or any other traitor.

I wish you died on Iwo Jima when you were still a man.

I wish you died so that I could have thought I had a real father instead of a

Chiyotako!

Chiyotako! Chiyotako!

Chiyotako!

Chiyotako! Chiyotako!

Chiyotako!

I'm sorry, Bob. My hands are tied.

I'm a police commissioner.

I want to look going against one of my... I'm not asking you to go against a

thing, Commissioner. I'm merely asking for your support in getting the charge

reduced from conspiracy to a simple 653F, soliciting commission of a crime.

It would then be within the court's discretion to impose a fine instead of a

jail sentence, which would give the boy a new chance.

It's your case, Jack. Brimbo knows it won't hold water.

We've been over the whole thing with the DA.

Any court -appointed attorney will claim unlawful search and seizure, and there

goes your ballgame.

All right, but the boy is guilty.

And technicalities notwithstanding, the law is the law. Now, listen to me, all

of you.

We're not a nation of robots.

The law is more than just a lot of statutes on paper. It's a spirit.

And that spirit speaks for people just as loudly as the letter of the law

for procedure and logic.

Somewhere, Dennis, sometime, the system's got to bend.

Now, you've both seen Manolo's father.

You've heard what happened this afternoon, what Mark and I witnessed.

It must be very clear that this is not a simple criminal case.

Manolo Rodriguez is a confused, troubled boy whose anger stems not solely from

delusion, but from unfortunate truths.

Now, what are we after here, revenge?

Or are we after justice?

All right, make your deal with the DA.

You have my backing.

And Rambo's. Let's go.

May I ask

you something, Mr.

Sanger? I was remembering some advice I got once. Like, Mr. Sanger, you're

either going to be a defense attorney...

Police officer or a social worker. But you can't be all those things at one

time. I should have added comedian to that list.

Did you find Todd's office?

Yes, Ed, the chief's here.

He what?

Yes, I'll tell him right away.

Well, are we ever going to find out?

Manolo Rodriguez just dictated a full confession to Lieutenant Rambo,

implicating himself completely.

He did what?

He's confessed to everything but the Jack the Ripper murders.

He's taken full responsibility for everything.

The weapons, the burglary, the plan of attack on the state campus.

And he said that there was no conspiracy, that he was in it alone.

And he said something weird.

Said that they'd have to accept it because it was a dying man's confession

55 and 66.

by escaping prisoner.

Squad car left hall of justice heading in the westerly direction.

All right, that's it.

They've spotted the car abandoned right near Freedom Library.

Rambo's converging all units in the area.

That's dumb.

He should have known they'd hit there first.

That's what he wanted.

All right, call Ed.

Tell him to get hold of Manolo's father right away.

Move, Mark.

Manolo. Oh, Manolo, I heard you.

I knew they would. I knew it. I told you to stay away from me. I told you. I

didn't know what to do. I was so scared for you.

It's over.

Just a little bit more, and it's all over.

No, Manolo. It's going to be all right.

I'm going to help you. We're going to make everything all right.

Press up on these roofs and cover that window from every angle. Boys, hurry in

the back of it and get these people off the street.

You other men deploy.

There'll be no shooting unless I order it.

You see?

But it's not all a waste.

Nobody wants to listen unless we make the front pages.

Well, we can do that too.

We'll do whatever you want.

We'll do it together.

I'm the man.

I'm the macho here.

You got my car?

I'm holding off.

My son.

Where is my son?

Top floor.

And he's armed.

I want to have to shoot him out of there, but he's not giving me much

No, you've got to... Be still. There's not much time.

I couldn't do what I'm going to ask you to do.

It's always been the woman's job with our people. The hardest part.

You're going to go down there and face them.

Alone. No. No, Doris, listen.

You must be proud.

Hold up your head and walk right up to them.

Like an Indian.

That's all we are.

But it's enough.

We're as American as any of them.

And we were here first.

And give this to my father.

Tell him that the Indian enters this world and leaves without a trace.

Manolo said it for me. The Indio can venture this world with nothing?

And he leaves us all with him.

I won't let my son die.

Sarge! I'll let him go.

Listen, I've had enough. You'd rather talk him down or shoot him down.

What do you want?

There's no toilet for you to clean here.

You're a hurt.

A little blood.

Good red indio blood.

It's the blood of all men.

Manolo.

Come down with me. No.

They're going to have to come and get me.

I'm ready for them.

I beg you. Yes, you beg!

You're good at that!

You believe that, don't you?

I know what I see.

All right, Manolo.

All right.

You are wrong.

We both know it. This is not the way.

It has never been.

But if you are so dead, I'm dying.

Your father will stand by you.

We can do it together.

Only one thing.

As long as I'm here, they will have to fire the first shot.

I'll give him one more minute.

You'll give him more than that.

Lieutenant. Lieutenant.

They both got rifles.

Clear the street, Lieutenant.

What? Pull your men out. Cars, everything.

You can't give me orders. I just did. I want every uniform off this street. That

includes you.

Not on your life. It's not my life I'm concerned about.

Your way has pushed that boy into a corner.

He has no choice now except to fight.

And you will have no choice except to kill him. Is that what you want?

Look you have boys ready to go to college They'll have ideals of their own

or wrong Will they have to die to express them? It could be more you want

All right get everybody off the street let's get these cars out of here

What's going on?

What did he do?

They are fighting you.

I can't fight.

Not to murder.

No. He can't tell what he'll do.

I know.

I know what I have to do.

Now go on, all of you.

I told Rambo goes for you too.

Now get.

Just the two of us, just you and me.

No crowds, no Roman circus, no martyrdom.

If you want to talk, I'll listen.

But if all you want is to be shot down in the street, you're going to have to

find another place.

Now come on out.

You understand, Manolo?

I'm listening.

Listening to you.

Tio Taco!

Tio Taco! Tio Taco! Tio Taco! Tio Taco! Tio Taco! Tio Taco! Tio Taco!

Tio Taco!

Tio Taco!

Well, that's it, Dennis.

No gigantic conspiracy, no seething plot, no major upheaval.

Just one hurt, confused, desperate boy crying out, look at me.

Well, that's a relief.

Yeah, I suppose it is.

I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you. Why?

You'll be all right, won't he? Physically, yes.

I'd say the rest depends on us.

Are we going to look at him?

Are we going to listen to him?

And if we do, are we going to hear what he says?

I suggest you post that in a very prominent place.

Serve as a reminder to us all.

Gary's path comes back to haunt him. Stay with us, as Goodnight Sweetheart is

after the break.