American Violence Page #6

So let's make a deal,

and you can take a hike,

and I can quit being

a f***ing warden.

If you're gonna

make a deal with me,

you're gonna shake my hand.

Deal.

- The warden's

proposition was simple.

Some snitch had let it slip

that a drug deal was

going down by the border.

Having me get the cash

kept his hands clean.

And in return, I got a

get outta jail free card

with a new identity, and

a second chance at life.

And lucky for me, there was

a goodhearted woman waiting.

- You okay?

You don't have to do this.

We can go away, start again.

- We'll just have to

do it someplace else.

- Warden.

- Yeah.

- Yeah, we're here,

we're packing in.

- Just stay with

him until the deal's done.

You understand that, right?

- Got it.

You better be the shot

you say you are, boy.

I can't see a goddamn thing.

- Get ready with the bullhorn.

- No one else needs to get hurt.

You just do exactly what I say.

Drop your guns, throw your

keys, and keep walking.

Walk away and don't look back.

- You only killed

two, goddamn it.

- There's no need

to kill the rest.

- I'll say what is

needed, convict.

- Drugs weren't

part of the deal.

- Your deal, not ours.

- Yeah.

- Warden.

They checked into the

motel you got 'em.

- That's good.

You know what the story is.

- Yeah.

- You know what you have to do.

Got it?

- Copy that.

- Warden's man took the drugs,

but I held onto the money.

He'd meet me at the

hotel in the morning,

and I'd exchange his

money for my new life.

In the morning we'll just

give this money to Morton.

And we're done.

- I don't know.

This whole thing feels off.

Promise me, this

is the last one.

I can't lose you.

- On one condition.

Will you spend the rest

of your life with me?

- Yes.

- Try it on.

It fits.

What do you think?

- It's beautiful.

- Tell me how it

looks in the light.

- It sparkles.

- It sparkles like your eyes.

- I love it.

- I hope so.

- You spoiled me.

- When all this is done,

we'll have enough money.

We'll start over again.

We're gonna have a house,

maybe two baby boys.

I'll even retire, you know,

be a postman like a regular

old job or something.

Just to be able to wake up

every morning next to you.

What do you think

about that, babe?

- I love you so much.

- I'm glad you do.

- Thank you, baby.

- Baby, get down.

- Go on, get him.

- Baby.

It's okay.

No no, babe, no you're

okay, you're okay.

You're okay, hey,

you're gonna be okay.

Olivia.

Please stay awake.

Just a little longer,

we're gonna get that

house I promised you.

Okay.

We got a lot left to do.

- I love you, Jack.

- Olivia.

I'm sorry.

Olivia.

Please.

Tick.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

Tick tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

And so it goes.

- This was good.

This was a lot of progress.

And,

tomorrow we'll get

to the underlying...

- tomorrow I have a

date with a real doctor.

You know what the worst part is?

Nobody's gonna be

there to see me off.

Anyway.

It was nice talking

with you, Amanda.

- You too, Jack.

- I am telling you, he's

one nasty son of a b*tch.

He hires young, he pays more

than all his competitors,

and when he gets his hooks

in 'em, he doesn't let go.

- Check all his analysts.

Even his guys down

there in the trenches,

they're bound to make a mistake.

And when they do,

we will be ready.

We will be ready.

Good work, Mr. Cartwright.

- Thank you.

- Good work.

Jill, give us a minute.

- Yeah sure, no problem.

- Thank you.

- Dr. Tyler.

- There you go.

- What do you got for me?

You can't be serious.

- I'm serious.

- Texas versus Johnson.

Okay.

You claim you wanna

save lives, doctor.

You preach fighting

the good fight.

You wave your flag of justice

around your lecture hall

like some avenging angel.

But this?

This is not a case study.

This is not about theorizing,

glorifying, or grandstanding.

Dr. Tyler, this is

about paying a debt.

It's not just a debt to the

families of the victims,

but to society, righting

a terrible wrong,

and preventing future wrongs.

Protecting the innocent.

And you, of all people,

should understand that

since your husband was murdered.

Am I correct?

- Yeah, you're correct.

My husband was murdered.

So let me ask you a question.

- Shoot.

- What if this time,

perpetuating the cycle

and continuing down

the wrong path,

and protecting a broken system,

isn't what's best for society?

- System's far from

broken, doctor.

We're traveling down a path

humanity's been navigating

since the dawn of society.

Law and order.

Crime and punishment.

Tit for tat.

Without this system in

place, we will surely

be living in a constant

state of hypersensitivity.

Wouldn't you say?

- No, we've moved beyond that.

We are past reacting off of

just our primal instinct.

- We've moved beyond.

Okay, doc. Okay.

Look who you're talking to here.

You're gonna sit here

and tell me this.

Even though an educated black

man in a three piece suit

right here in the

good state of Texas

can't run down the street

without possibly being

mistaken for a criminal

and shot down like a dog?

That we have evolved.

I'd have to argue

against that, doctor.

It's a delicate balance.

Punish too harshly,

you have a revolt.

Don't punish enough,

you have anarchy.

See, the very fear of violence

keeps violence at bay.

By not responding to

violence with violence,

we take away that fear,

and we take away the very thing

that keeps our system intact.

So no, doctor, our

system is not broken,

we are not headed

down the wrong path.

I'm doing my job for society.

Whether you are or

not is yet to be seen.

- What about

compassion and empathy?

And mercy?

- Mercy.

We're all just pieces

on the board, doctor.

We're just pieces on the board.

- Yeah, well, at

the end of the game,

the king and the pawns

go in the same damn box.

You don't wanna help me?

I'll take it to the

governor myself.

- Time to go.

- Yea, though I walk through

the valley of the

shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for thou art with me.

Thy rod and thy staff,

they comfort me,

surely the goodness of mercy

shall follow me all

the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the

house of the lord forever.

- Any last words, shea?

- The worst part is,

nobody's gonna be

there to see me off.

- I love you.

I'll see you soon.

- Violence.

What is the cause?

To truly understand

the nature of violence,

we need to look

beyond the individual.

We need to look at the

culture of violence

that permeates our society.

And we also need

to look at the way

that we punish those that

commit acts of violence.

Because when we answer

violence with violence

and trade death for death,

all we're doing is

perpetuating a vicious cycle.

- But what if someone

you love was murdered?

Would you feel that answering

violence with violence

is appropriate?

- I believe I would

feel that in the moment.

But I wouldn't want

their deaths avenged

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