All language subtitles for Picket Fences s03e06 Elective Conduct

Chinese people helped to build the
railroads a long time ago.

Today, Chinese people are famous mostly
for Chinese restaurants, where they cook

many fine things like egg rolls, chopped
chili, and shrimp fried rice.

Chinese people are also very good
fighters.

Many people who aren't even Chinese say
Bruce Lee is the best fighter, even

though he is dead. The end.

That was very good, Wanda. Thank you.

We're really learning a lot about all
the different kinds of people who make

America.

Zachary, would you like to go next?

The title of my essay is Why White

Kids Should Help Black Kids.

White children should help black ones.

If you look at the statistics... you
will see that the average white 13 -year

-old scores 20 points higher on the
standard reading test than the average

13 -year -old.

Older students take the SAT test, and
the average black kid scores 95 points

lower on the verb part and 105 points
lower on the math part.

Zachary, where do these numbers come
from?

The Educational Testing Service.

the National Center for Education
Statistics.

And you think this report is in the
spirit of Multicultural Awareness Day?

Well, I thought we should help.

All right, settle down, settle down,
everybody.

Now, you listen to me.

Black people aren't any less smart than
white people.

Yes, they are, Miss Winslow, and I found
out why.

Oh, you found out why?

Mm -hmm.

Their brains are smaller and they think
about sex all the time. I looked it up.

All right, Zachary, you're coming with
me.

All right, everybody, take your seats.

Take your seats.

are brained and obsessed with sex.

Where would you pick something like that
up? Show me the report.

He's made a mockery of multicultural
awareness, Dave.

Here I am trying to make it work, trying
to make these kids see the beauty of

the American mosaic. Jimmy and I do not
tolerate bigotry of any kind in our

house. We teach our children to respect
all people. I'm going to spend the next

seven months with these kids. What am I
going to do now?

My God, I can't believe he wrote this.

Well, he's going to have to do the paper
again if he wants to pass the

assignment.

The problem's much worse than that.

I'm afraid I have no recourse but to
suspend the boy.

What? That is out -and -out hate speech.
Anybody who would preach those things

is absolutely poisonous to a good
learning environment, especially now.

Michael, let me talk to Zach. By all
means, talk to him. You have to.

But for now, he's suspended.

Well, I really don't have the facts, so
I can't comment.

But if the son of our temporary mayor
and our sheriff is spewing out black

hatred, we all have to be concerned.

Makes me wonder about the parents.

But again, I can't comment without the
facts.

Do you think it'll be an issue in the
election?

Well, if the people of Rome are
sensitive to racial prejudices, I'm sure

be an issue.

But I gotta go now. I got mail to
deliver. This isn't Chicago, you know.

Ugh.

What do I do?

First talk to Zach.

I'll convene the school committee. But
what about my response? It's already on

public action. You condemn what Zach
said. People can't blame you. You're

his mother.

Yeah, right.

I'm just his mother.

What up, man? What's going on?

Y 'all got the cash?

You got what we carry, folks?

15 each. All right, man.

Come on, man.

It's all there.

Oh, yo, you got the mad toe boost money.
Yo, we need to get something like that.

You're right, shorty.

Check out them Tims, yo.

Here you go, man.

Straight out of Green Bay.

Cool.

Got to get back to school.

All right, man.

What?

Overall, I'm disappointed.

We've got a lot of ground to cover.

I don't want to have to back up and go
over old material.

But if I have to, I will.

Now, on a positive note, the best paper
in the class came from one of our

newcomers, Aisha Campbell.

In fact...

She demonstrates such a grasp of the
information and facility with language

it might do us all some good if she
would read it for us.

Miss Campbell?

Miss Goody?

Would you please come up and read your
paper for us?

I'd rather not.

One of these days we're going to have to
break you of that shyness.

But take my word for it, people.

She wrote a terrific paper.

Actually, maybe we could figure out a
way that you can tutor some of the other

Green Bay students.

Mr.

Steinberg. Malik.

You're so unhappy with us, why don't you
try teaching us some real -world

history?

Oh? Like what, Malik?

Well, like how Caucasians are the most
aggressive race on Earth because of how

they adapted during the last ice age in
Europe.

It's crap.

Oh, you think so, huh?

And where did you acquire that piece of
analysis, Malik?

A book called The Iceman Inheritance.

See, I'll just read what you teachers
tell me to. Who wrote that, Farrakhan?

Oh, you don't know nothing about it. I
read about it. So be quiet, all right?

They want to teach that crap in school.

Tony, quiet. Quiet down.

Do yourself a favor, Malik.

Spend less time thinking about the Ice
Age and more time thinking about how

you're going to adapt to an F in this
class.

Anything you say.

You're the teacher.

You

don't

want to do well?

I didn't say that. I said I wanted to
look like I don't want to do well.

Why?

Look, it doesn't really matter, alright?

Why?

You want to be liked, Kimberly.

Well, me too.

So if you do well in school, you won't
be liked?

One day we get the news that some judge
wants to send her to a school in some

new town.

Then we hear that everyone in this town
is doing everything to keep us from

coming in.

I mean, they even sent cops with guns to
try and stop the buses.

Then we're supposed to try and do well
to please them? Those same teachers who

didn't even want us, we're supposed to
work hard to make them feel like good

teachers?

It wasn't anything personal against you.

Yeah, well, when a gun is pointed at
your head, you take it personal.

And when my friends see me...

Trying to succeed in this.

Look, Kimberly, trust me.

I want to get good grades, okay?

And I'd love to get a scholarship and go
to college, but I got to ride that bus

every day.

The children.

They're the main issue in this election.
They're caught in the middle. I don't

disagree, and I'm trying, but... Try
harder. Endorse me for mayor.

Oh, Carter.

What if Ed Lawson wins? You think about
that?

You have an influence, John.

Carter, endorsing you is a waste. You
can't win.

I can win. If I could just get people to
allow for it, I can.

Jill Brock tried to block those pluses.

Yes, I know that.

So how can you support her?

I can support her as a lesser evil than
Ed Lawson. Are you sure about that?

Ed Lawson, you can see coming. It's
clear what he's about. Jill Brock, she's

perceived as liberal, enlightened.

She could be more dangerous.

Jill Brock's influence is at work right
now. Go down to the schools. Check

things out.

Who put these things in your head?

Nobody.

Then where did you get these ideas about
black people?

Well, first I noticed the bused -in kids
don't do as well in class as us.

They're all black.

Then I looked at the statistics.

But what about everything we've ever
taught you? You know how we feel about

prejudice.

You went to jail because of it.

No, no, that was a little bit more
complicated.

Have we ever suggested to you that one
race of people is better than another?

No.

Then where did this come from? All this
stuff about the brain size and sex.

Where did you get that?

The encyclopedia.

What?

The Encyclopedia Britannica.

Mentally, the Negro is inferior to the
white. The growth of the brain is

arrested by the premature closing of the
cranial suture. I never knew that was

in there. After puberty, sexual matters
take the first place in the Negro's life

and thought, the Encyclopedia
Britannica.

The 1911 edition.

Well, we have updated versions without
this information. We must. Why is this

edition in the library at all?

Well, it's actually a classic.

Well, I don't care about that. It
contains harmful information. You should

these books and...

I mean, this is one of our most valuable
assets. It contains racial material.

I know, but... Well, what about Huck
Finn? The word nigger is all over that

book.

Mark Twain's books are filled with
racist material. This isn't Mark Twain.

Jill, this is a classic edition.

Museums would kill for this set. I don't
think we should just throw it out. Get

this encyclopedia out of this library.

You know, if I had read that paper
today, I don't even want to think about

mean, it was bad enough being smart in
an all -black school, but if I get good

grades here... Hey, bring it.

You gonna find time to start tooting us
ignorant Negroes?

See? You see? You get punished for being
smart?

Just forget it.

Hey, Aisha, get your black ass on the
bus where you belong. Come on, baby. You

can hang out with that white girl all
day long, sister.

Still ain't gonna make you white.

Maybe you should get your black ass on a
bus.

Maybe you should just leave her alone.

Pulling this out of class, we're missing
important education.

Look, I pulled you out of class because
I wanted to apologize about what I said

yesterday at the bus stop to you.

I'm District Attorney John Littleton.

Look,

what I saw at the bus stop yesterday, it
brought out the worst in me.

Okay? I haven't been able to let that
go.

I want to know why you were giving this
young woman such a hard time.

I was just joking around with her.

We joke like that.

Would you have a problem with her
getting good grades?

I got a problem with her thinking she
better than everybody.

Trying to act white.

What acting white, Marcus?

Studying?

See, man, you don't know her.

All you know is them grades.

She always been like this.

Don't hang out in the neighborhood.

Stay at home all the time. Then, bam,
they send us over here.

She start hanging around them white
girls. Well, I got black friends,

They just don't spend six hours of the
day on a basketball court.

Where did this idea get started that if
you do well in school or if you have

white friends, that that makes you less
black?

If she makes friends, if she gets good
grades, that helps her.

That might help you, too.

Oh, so if we try and impress these
people.

or this community, they'll accept us
that much quicker, huh?

And that's supposed to be good.

Look, man, this school was designed by
white people, run by white people, for

white people, with nothing whatsoever to
do with our African reality.

So why should we care if we are accepted
here?

What do they call it?

Mainstreaming.

You been mainstreamed, Mr. D .A.? Maybe
we don't want to be mainstreamed. Did

anybody in this town ever think about
that?

Did you ever think about that?

Okay, I got you reinstated, but only
because that stuff came from an old

encyclopedia.

You understand how wrong that
information was you put in the report?

Yes. Do you understand why?

I got expelled.

No. No.

It's wrong because it's wrong.

No race of people is superior to
another.

What about Iranians?

Hi, John.

What are you doing here?

I wonder if I could speak to you for a
second, alone.

Oh, sure. Zach, you remember Mr.
Littleton?

Yeah.

He's an exception.

You wait right here, honey.

Jill, do you have any idea of some
tensions going on at the high school?

Well, of course I do. It's what we were
all afraid of. And how do you plan to

address it? Simply with cops in the
corridors?

I don't like your tone.

I don't care.

If things do explode, I don't want
people running around bragging about how

right they were.

I don't want them putting the trouble
off on the black students when they

be pointing the fingers at the mayor.
What?

You're not doing anything, Jill. Well,
give me a chance. This just started.

Things could explode any second. What
are you doing?

There should be counseling sessions.

You should be recruiting black faculty.

I plan to.

When?

Jill, I don't know if I can support you
for mayor.

What?

You've been taking a lot of things for
granted.

Don't.

Blacks are the best race.

They dress better, they act better.

Here, try this one on, G.

My cousin Compton hooked me up, yo. You
got the coolest T -shirts.

Nah, boy, I got the dopest T -shirts,
period. You know what I'm saying?

Whoa, whoa.

What's up with this, G?

Oh, uh, I got shot last year.

You didn't hear?

Word?

Damn, dead in the chest, too.

Yo, you must have a heart of steel,
homie.

Who did it? Who kept you?

Guy in school, he's in juvenile prison.

Shoot, he popped a cap in your ass, he
should have breathed his last breath,

Check it, if I was your homie back then,
I would have had your back, man.

Word like Warren's a unique dog,
straight regulating.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

Their brains are smaller and they're
dominated by sex drive. This from one of

our fifth grade students who...

Zachary Brock, the son of our mayor pro
tem.

If this is how she parents a child, how
can we let her parent this community?

That son of a bitch.

I'll kill him. Jill.

Of all the cheap, exploitative crap,
what the hell is that? It's politics.

That's not politics.

And it isn't Carter. Not the Carter I
know.

Ask those Green Bay kids how hard they
laughed when our sheriff's department

stared them down with guns.

We have a problem here.

We have a situation.

He can't lead this town.

I like Carter, but he can't command
respect.

Yeah, well, the problem is Jill Brock
can't.

What's that supposed to mean?

I mean she's persuasive. People follow
her lead.

I'm not sure I like her lead.

You can't be Fred Lawson.

The devil you know is sometimes less
dangerous.

You couldn't possibly plug Ed Lawson for
mayor.

I don't know.

I don't like Ed Lawson, but he is what
he is. He's not hiding anything.

All these white liberals that went down
there and stopped those buses, Joe Brock

included, they're the ones I feel
betrayed by.

John, not Ed Lawson.

Than me.

I'm not just a medical examiner. I did
two years of political science.

I'm your leader.

I am your next mayor.

I only need you.

I don't want trouble.

Then why did you write that report?

I looked it up. I thought it was true.

You said it because you hate us, didn't
you? You don't want us here.

I know karate.

Me too. Me too.

I have a big bladder and a magic penis.

I could get all of you.

You're not a peon.

First one who takes a step gets it.

I'm not kidding.

Go ahead.

Make my day.

He did what?

You heard me.

It was self -defense.

I was outnumbered.

Where on earth did you get the idea to
do anything like that?

He was non -violent.

First, he gives that report, and now he
urinates on the black students.

I have to at least suspend him. One
week.

I'm sorry.

It was self -defense.

Again, non -violent.

Certainly, it's a sad day when any fifth
grader relieves himself on another

child.

The psychological question I would ask
is this.

Was it self -defense, or was this the
case of a white boy feeling the need to

mark his turf in the face of black
students?

In any event, I would like to know what
goes on in terms of discipline at the

Brock household. Why don't you save your
attacks for tonight's debate, Carter?

Or is it easier without me in the room?

Gee, Jill, I can't be guaranteed that
you would dignify my attacks at the

debate. I mean, my candidacy is
ridiculous, right?

How about a moment alone?

I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me.

How dare you vilify me in public, attack
my children, humiliate them in front

of... Maybe I should have invited you
over to my house and over a nice quiet

drink, told you that your candidacy is a
joke. Would that be less humiliating?

What we did was in the spirit of our
affection for you, Carter. Affection? If

you call that affection, give it to
yourself!

I'm tired of being the brunt of your
ridicule!

I'm tired of you trying to rid this town
of potato men and witches and blacks.

I'm not doing that. You are doing that.
You want a nice, tidy little village

where everybody hops around in harmony.
Well, that's great. But I happen to

think the people here have been too damn
content for too damn long. What the

hell is happening to you, Carter?

I was betrayed by the picket fences.
That's what happened.

Smiling faces, the compassion on long
sleeves, covering up all the narrow

-mindedness.

Carter Pike is adorable as a medical
examiner, but let him be mayor?

Douglas Wambaugh is right. This town has
a silent wasp mafia. Well, I'm going to

muck everything up. As long as the white
kids are pissing on the black ones, I'm

going to dig up all the goo and expose
Norman Rockwell to be Norman Bates.

You're cracking up.

Well, cracks are good, Jill. Rome,
Wisconsin needs more cracks.

Cracks are good!

I don't know what's happened. This whole
town's gone mad.

Well, everybody's a little on edge.

I probably shouldn't say this because it
makes me sound prejudiced.

The town hasn't been the same since
those black students arrived.

I'm not saying that it's their fault.
It's probably ours.

I'm just saying that things have
changed.

I think Carter's point is things maybe
are coming out that have always been

here. Which is all the more reason that
Rome needs to be completely integrated.

The only way to take the schools out of
the vice is to integrate the whole

township.

You mean your residential plan?

Yeah. You realize you won't get elected
on a platform of making the town more

black. Well, no, I should probably just
say no new taxes and universal health

care. But after I get elected, then I'll
mention the residential plan.

Woke up quick. Yo, Matt, this box is for
that. Let me split the batteries in

this bad boy and bring it to school. I
gotta get drunk before the day begins,

before my mother starts bitching about
my friend.

Much better.

Yo, Matt, you ain't tell me your sister
was so fly, man.

Ooh, and ooh, baby, you got it going on
for real.

Mm -mm -mm.

I like to eat that for Thanksgiving.

Who are you?

No, what are you? My name's TJ, but you
can call me Daddy Long

Stroke.

Matthew's new homie. Pick a cheek,
sweetness, and bite me good.

Oh, you're trying to act black, right?

It's dope. White people are lame.

Hip -hop is very exotic here.

MTV and Nike ads are the end of
exposure.

Hip -hop is very romantic.

What do you mean he talks black?

He runs around talking like MTV.

TJ, that's his name. Matthew brought him
down by my office, you know. He's got

that little right -haired buzz cut.

Rings to his ears and he talks like that
rapper. What's his name? Ice coffee.

Ice tea.

Whatever. I knew it was something with
caffeine.

Henry, we get white kids wanting to be
black.

Teachers teaching the black children
that they're as good as white.

And the little kids are running around
like PJs talking flip -flop so that the

grown -up can't understand hip -hop.

Henry.

I'm a little scared. This town feels a
little angry.

The kids are tense and the old people
are nervous.

The reason I asked you to dinner.

Ed Lawson as mayor will fan the fire.

Carter can't lead and Jill really
doesn't want to.

There's only one man that could step in
and be a rudder.

Only one man that is made of the stuff
that could see this town through this

crisis.

We both know who that man is, Henry.

So I'm asking you for the good of the
town.

If I do run for mayor, will you back me?

Doug, try to receive this with the
spirit it's intended.

If you stand up there and announce your
candidacy, I will have you jailed.

On what grounds?

Whatever I can think of.

This is a serious election.

Our town's future hangs on the result.

Don't you make a mockery of it.

Well, somebody has to talk to the young
people, Henry. I can do it. I'm a

character. They'll like me.

You will not run for mayor.

Good. End up with Ed Lawson. I'm sure
he'll make you very happy.

Peek at Fences will return.

All right, keep your composure.

Don't let Lawson rattle you. He's going
to try. I know, I know, I won't.

Jimmy, do you think I can lead this
town?

Absolutely. Absolutely.

We're going to leave now to get good
teeth.

Is it okay if Aisha spends the night?
It's going to be a little late to drive

her home after the debate.

Sure. Kids be all right alone?

Oh, they'll be fine. TJ still upstairs?

Oh, yes.

Oh, it's TJ.

He's Matthew's new friend. He wants to
eat Aisha for Thanksgiving.

Bye.

Yeah.

Yo, what's up with that, Pop? That's a
bomb right there.

What's going on?

This is my boy, T .J.

Well, T .J., would you run along home?

I want to talk to Matthew.

We were going to watch the debate
together on TV.

It's cool, man. I need to get my grub on
anyway.

I'll holler at you later, man.

What's up?

What were you listening to?

It's T .J.'s tape.

They're talking about shooting cops and
you're singing along?

It's hip -hop.

White boy music is lame.

Why'd you get that shirt?

I bought it from one of the bus thing
kids.

Cool, huh?

You think guns are cool?

You think singing songs about murdering
policemen are cool?

This is disgraceful. I don't care.

I don't care how popular that music is.
It's disgraceful.

I'm just trying to get along.

With who?

With what?

Will you take that shirt off, Mr. Cool?
I don't want to ever see that again.

Why won't you speak?

It isn't fair, damn it.

Oh, God.

I can still be a good mayor.

Carter, I can't endorse the chipmunk.

What?

You're endorsing me?

Yes, I am.

God, come on, let's work on your singing
exercises.

It's really going to be good. You don't
even know.

Douglas Wambo, your moderator.

I won't waste time with the rules
because we never stick to them.

Basically, the candidates could ask
questions of each other with 45 seconds

respond. And I, as your moderator, will
ask the first question, which goes to

mayoral candidate Pike.

My question is this, Carter. Who do you
think you're kidding?

I'm glad you asked that.

I'm an organized person. I
revolutionized the coded subsection

autopsy. I'm published on that.

You work on dead people.

We're better off with you, a redneck
bigot who champions prejudice like...

you want to make me out a bigot for
standing up against busing? Fine, I'll

the label. Our schools are like kicking
bombs right now, right? And your

attitude doesn't help.

Fear is something you can't really
control.

Anybody who says you can is a liar.

Behavior you can control, and my
behavior has not been bigoted.

Certainly not illegal like hers. What?

Political opposition is one thing, Jill,
but when you sent troops in, that was

just plain vigilante stuff. What would
you have done?

Obeyed the law.

What does it say to the kids when the
mayor decides to act illegally?

That leads to chaos. Next.

We'll see our children urinating on each
other. You're out of line.

What's out of line is a mayor who not
only thinks she's above the law, but

above the whole town.

What? The way you stood up here a few
weeks ago and wailed about, oh, this is

the saddest day ever in Rome, voting
against busing. Woe is us. What kind of

awful people are we? How dare you try
and shame us for being scared?

I didn't do that.

Hey, I got a news flash for you, Jill.

White people are afraid of black people.
Let me say that again. White people are

afraid of black people. Is it wrong? Of
course it is. But you can't just outlaw

fear. So let's look the prejudice in the
face and work like hell to deal with

it.

I'm dealing with it. You're not doing
anything. What plan do you have for

getting us over our prejudices?

Well, I've come up with a residential
zoning plan which provides for

housing for low -income black.

I beg your pardon?

The idea is to integrate the adult
population as well as the student.

Wait a second. You have a plan to
introduce a low -income black

Yes. I've developed this with Judge
Nance.

It's called dealing with the race
problem, Mr. Lawson.

How are you going to look these people
in the eye and tell them you're going to

destroy the value of their homes, you're
going to overcrowd their schools,

you're going to fill their streets with
unemployed?

I won't do that. Carter, would you?

Carter?

No.

I think a town should provide low
-income housing, but to devise an

for poor people to move to Rome, we run
the risk of turning Rome into a ghetto.

We have to be careful about that.

Tell me something, Jill.

Was this plan part of the deal for Judge
Nance letting you out of jail?

I thought we agreed you wouldn't bring
up the residential plan.

I know.

When he challenged me on dealing with
the problem, I...

Exit poll shows 44 % for Ed Lawson, 28 %
for me, 22 % for you, Jill. Oh, wow.

Mention the idea of black neighbors.

Stupid me.

Jill, our differences aside, I don't
think either one of us want to see Ed

Lawson in the mayor's office.

I'm prepared to drop out, pledge my
support to you.

We can call a press conference, first
thing, 7 a .m. Get it on public access,

word will spread.

No. I'm dropping out.

Let me pledge my support to you.

What? Oh, Carter, the only reason that I
asked you to withdraw was because I

didn't think that you could win, and now
it's clear that I can't win, and so our

best shot against Ed Lawson is you.

You're also jumpy.

This is a jumpy town.

Most of the people in this town are
good, open -minded people. It's just

everybody's so nervous.

Do you know about that?

I

know

it's harder for you than it is for me.

What about...

What about your parents?

What's the deal?

What do you mean?

I mean that... they were the ones behind
the guns, you know?

Trying to stop us from coming in.

No, no.

They were just afraid of all the panic.

They're very pro -integration, they are.

So when you say that...

Most of the people in this town are good
open -minded people Your parents fall

into that group Yes

As you can see, not only is Jill Brock
pledging all her support for me, so is

Jimmy Brock,

John Littleton, and Deputy Maxine
Stewart, as well as Douglas Wombo.

The leaders of this town agree. Carter
Pike should be your mayor.

Not all the leaders.

Standing with me is Deputy Sheriff Kenny
Lacos. Minister Henry Novotny's pledged

his name to my campaign. Also, Father
Gary Barrett. This is my press

Yeah, well, Carter, what if you win?

Who's going to run things here if you
get abducted by aliens?

People of Rome, this is a defining
moment.

Lawson, you're endorsing him?

Free culture. Declining tax base. This
is the time for change. Carter! I don't

see why they don't let us vote. I mean,
we're the ones affected.

I'm 18. I did vote for Carter.

Oh, no.

Matthew. What are you doing here?

Yummy. Shut up. This is the high school.

We're just moving some stuff.

Check this out.

You like what you see, Lane?

Tony's beat it. You know what they call
guys like you?

I know what so mama calls me.

Wiggers.

You a wigger? Get the hell off.

So this who you hanging with now, huh,
Aisha?

Look, her butt's getting flatter
already.

Let's be cool, man. Nobody got to act
whack. What you supposed to be?

He's the resident wigger. What you say,
pal boy?

I should make your move.

Hey, he's a punk ass, Cosby.

He's fine, but he's been arrested. You
had your own son arrested? John

Littleton's order. He wants to
prosecute, make an example, and I think

right. Douglas Wambo for all of them.

I have a special place in my hard judge
for juveniles.

Nice try.

But I'd like to prosecute them as
adults, Your Honor.

Specifically under subsection 3621, hate
crimes. This was a playground fight?

Yes, Your Honor. Race related.

Sit down, both of you.

You know what the American dream is?

You grow up, have a family, a home, live
in a nice

community you care about.

Then, as trusted members of that
community, you might even get someone

service to sit in this jury box
representing society.

Imagine the irony.

That you kids got in this box way ahead
of time.

Wearing handcuffs.

I'd love to look at you and say, you're
not society.

You're just a bunch of hoods.

But I know better.

Complete with all the pinnings of fear,
insecurity, maybe hatred.

You are very much society.

We're all struggling with this busing
thing.

More than anything else, that's what
growth is all about.

Struggle.

It's easier to resist it, to say, no,
no, I'm not going to change.

I'm staying just the way I am. I'm not
going to grow.

Leave us be.

But there's no courage in leave us be.

Courage comes with a willingness to
accept one another.

So, how tough are you guys?

How much dare you got inside?

Kids before you turn to hatred.

Kids after you will do so too. Most of
your parents will turn to fear.

It's easy.

Sitting down together, trying to make it
work, that's what's hard.

So?

How tough are you?

I want to know.

You got the guts to accept him?

You strong enough to talk to that guy?

How the hell tough are you guys?

Huh?

Bailiff, take the handcuffs off them.

All charges dismissed.

Go on out there and show us what the
future holds.

Hi. Hi.

Sorry to intrude. No, that's all right.

I was wondering if I could talk to your
son for a second.

I'm sorry. I won't fight again. I
promise.

What, you want to be Snoop Doggy Dog,
Matthew?

Actually, I wanted to talk to Zach for a
second.

I read your book report, Zach.

Zachary, do you think that I'm less
smart than a white lawyer?

I don't know.

I'd understand if you did.

When I was in law school, a lot of my
white classmates thought I was only

because of a special favor.

Formative action?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Now I'm going to tell you something
else, and this is something I haven't

anybody else in Rome, so let's just keep
this between you and me, okay?

Okay. Okay.

When I was your age...

I lived in an all -black neighborhood in
Chicago.

And some of the kids there, they made
fun of me because I'm dark -skinned.

Other black kids picked on you?

Other black kids, because I'm darker.

See, that's one of the evil things about
racism.

Even black people can believe it
sometimes.

You know about slavery?

It's all roots.

Well, um... Slavery has a lot to do with
it.

And today...

Some black people still have to deal
with these feelings that they're not as

good.

And some black kids, even if they don't
realize they believe it, they believe

it.

And it holds them back.

Maybe that helps to explain why they
don't get as good grades, score lower on

the SATs.

I'm sorry.

I know you are.

We all are.

What'd you say to him?

Oh, stuff.

Nothing he probably hasn't heard before.

Maybe.

The results are now in. It is now
official in one of the closest races

11 ,873 votes to 11 ,861. A

12 -vote margin. The new mayor of Rome,
Wisconsin is Edward Lawson.

by 12 votes.

It was an unusually large turnout and an
exceptionally tight margin.

We are now going to switch you to Ed
Lawson's victory celebration at O

Pub. Well, obviously, I'm very thrilled.

Now I have to just do the job.

This is a new beginning for Rome,
Wisconsin.

Monday, I take office.

And when I show up, I promise I show up.

The people of Rome have spoken.

And I have an obligation to them.

They've called for a new order.

And I've heard them loud and clear.

Rome, Wisconsin is about to change.