Crown Heights Page #9

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YOU'RE GOING TO CONDEMN

AN ENTIRE PEOPLE

FOR THE RUTHLESS ACTS

OF A FEW?

IS THAT:

WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO?

I DON'T --

UH...

I DON'T KNOW.

WELL, COME TO A MEETING,

AND YOU'LL KNOW MORE.

WHAT IF THE GUYS

WHO ATTACKED US ARE THERE?

THEN WE'LL

HAVE THEM ARRESTED.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

[ SIGHS ]

THANK YOU, RIVKA, MOSHE.

LAZ.

I'LL LET MYSELF OUT.

THANKS A LOT.

YOU DON'T

HAVE TO DO THIS.

I THINK:

IT'S A GOOD IDEA.

IT'S A SILLY IDEA.

WHY ARE YOU PRESSURING HIM?

WHO'S PRESSURING?

I DON'T WANT HIM TO HATE.

I'M NOT HATING ANYONE.

I HATE WHAT THEY DO.

LOOK, IT'S NOT LIKE

WHEN WE WERE IN COLLEGE.

THERE'S NO MORE LEARNING

TO DO?

NOT WHEN IT PUTS

OUR CHILD IN DANGER.

I'M NOT A CHILD.

YOU ARE A CHILD.

OKAY, I UNDERSTAND

THERE'S FEAR,

BUT WE CAN'T LET IT

RULE OUR LIVES.

RIGHT, YUDI?

I'M NOT AFRAID.

IF THAT'S TRUE,

THEN THERE'S NO REASON

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T GO

TO THAT MEETING,

IS THERE?

MOSHE, WHAT ARE YOU

TALKING ABOUT?

HE'S GOING

TO GET HURT.

NO, HE WON'T.

HE'LL BE FINE.

WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS

ARGUING WITH ME, RIVKA?

WE LIVE SEPARATE.

WE WANT TO LIVE THIS WAY,

AND AFTER ALL,

AMERICA IS ABOUT

LIVING THE WAY:

YOU WANT TO LIVE.

WE LIVE THIS WAY,

AND WE AREN'T

HARMING ANYONE ELSE.

OUR CHILDREN, THEY SPEND

ALL DAY STUDYING THE TORAH.

THEY DON'T HAVE TIME

FOR ANYTHING ELSE.

I AIN'T ADVOCATING

ALL THIS COMING TOGETHER.

HEALING AMERICA IS BULLSHIT.

Laz:
ALL RIGHT.

Paul:
GO AHEAD.

ALL RIGHT,

WELL, I'M GLAD TO SEE

MORE OF YOU:

SHOWED UP THIS TIME.

HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING

TO DO.

I WANT YOU TO LISTEN

TO A FEW MINUTES OF THIS,

AND THEN I WANT YOU

TO TELL ME WHAT THE THEME IS

AND WHO YOU THINK

THE SINGER IS.

[ HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING ]

KNOW IT'S BEEN SAID

ABOUT A MILLION TIMES BEFORE

BUT CHANGE DON'T COME EASY,

YOU GOTTA KNOW THE SCORE

LOOKIN' FOR A FRIEND,

LIKE A LIFELONG BROTHER?

YOU CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK

BY LOOKIN' AT THE COVER

WE NEED TO STOP THE FIGHTING,

WE NEED MORE PEACE

LOVE IN THE STREETS,

DON'T CONDONE THE BEEF

DON'T-DON'T-DON'T,

DON'T CONDONE THE BEEF

DON'T-DON'T,

DON'T CONDONE THE BEEF

UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY

IS WHAT WE NEED:

YES, INDEED,

WE NEED TO INTERCEDE

SHALOM:

THAT HAS GOT:

TO BE VANILLA ICE, MAN.

IT'S NOT VANILLA ICE.

YEAH, THAT'S

TOO MUCH CREDIT, MAN.

THAT'S GOT TO BE

ONE OF THE BEASTIE BOYS.

DEFINITELY A WHITE,

THOUGH, RIGHT?

WELL, YOU GOT --

YEAH, YOU GOT

SOME OF THAT RIGHT.

IT'S, UH, IT'S ME.

[ BOYS LAUGHING ]

I ACTUALLY RECORDED THIS

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

I WAS FED UP:

WITH ALL THE RACIAL HATRED

GOING ON --

YOU KNOW, BENSONHURST,

HOWARD BEACH.

THE POINT HERE IS THAT

WE HAVE MORE IN COMMON

WITH EACH OTHER:

THAN SOME OF US:

THINK WE DO.

LOOK,

WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE,

WHAT WE WANT TO DO

IS GET EVERYBODY TALKING,

GET TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER

A LITTLE BIT.

SO WE'RE GOING

TO HAVE OPEN DIALOGUE.

IT'S A FREE FORUM.

YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT,

NO HOLDS BARRED.

JUST ASK ANY QUESTION

YOU WANT:

AND GET:

TO KNOW EACH OTHER.

OKAY, SO IF YOU WANT

TO ASK THESE GUYS A QUESTION...

GO AHEAD.

ONE OF YOU ALL:

WANT TO ASK:

ONE OF THESE HASIDIC

GENTLEMEN A QUESTION?

OPEN IT UP.

NOTHING'S --

NOTHING'S TOO PRIVATE TO ASK.

JUST KICK IT OUT.

ALL RIGHT.

WHY Y'ALL BE WEARING

THOSE BEANIES?

OOH, SERIOUS ISSUE, MAN.

GOOD ONE.

THEY'RE CALLED YARMULKES.

WHY DO YOU WEAR THEM?

TO HONOR HASHEM.

WHO?

THE NAME --

WHAT YOU'D CALL GOD.

WHY DON'T YOU GOT THOSE CURLS

LIKE THE JEWS IN WILLIAMSBURG?

THEY STILL:

LOOK LIKE UNDERTAKERS.

AND WHAT ABOUT:

THOSE STRING THINGS

HANGING OUT YOUR CLOTHES?

THEY'RE CALLED TSITSIS.

TITTIES?!

[ LAUGHING ]

IT SAYS IN THE TORAH --

HEY -- THAT IS

OUR HOLY BOOK.

GO AHEAD.

FOUR KNOTS REMIND YOU

THAT GOD IS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

EVERYWHERE.

WHY DO YOU GUYS:

WEAR YOUR HAIR LIKE THAT?

LIKE WHAT? THIS?

DREADS. WE GROW IT.

WE DON'T WEAR IT LIKE THIS.

AND, WHAT, YOU GROW IT

LIKE THAT WITH MUD?

MUD?

WHAT?

SOME PEOPLE WEAR I JUST FOR THE LOOK,

BUT THE RASTAFARIANS

IN JAMAICA STARTED

TO GROW THEIR HAIR LIKE THIS

AS A SIGN OF PRIDE.

WE ARE PROUD OF THE TEXTURE

OF OUR HAIR,

AND FURTHERMORE,

IT SAYS IT IN OUR BIBLE --

IN OUR LEVITICUS,

JAH SAID,

"THOU SHALL NOT CUT OFF

THY HAIR OFF THY HEAD."

YOU READ TORAH?

TORAH? HEAR ME, MAN, WE --

MY PEOPLE, THAT IS --

ARE THE ORIGINAL

LOST TRIBE.

[ LAUGHING ]

SO HOW COME:

YOU GUYS WEAR ALL BLACK?

SO WE DON'T

SHOOT EACH OTHER

OVER SNEAKERS AND JACKETS

LIKE YOU DO.

THAT'S WHACKED.

YOU THINK THAT'S FUNNY?

IT'S TRUE, ISN'T IT?

[ ALL TALKING AT ONCE ]

HEY, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT,

LET'S SEE --

CAN WE JUST SEE:

IF WE CAN HOLD OFF

MAKING ACCUSATIONS

ABOUT EACH OTHER, OKAY?

YOU KNOW WHAT?

TAKE A SECOND.

LOOK AT YOUR FEET.

LOOK AT YOUR SHOES, MAN.

YOU SEE, THE JEWISH KIDS

ARE ALL WEARING BLACK SHOES.

AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOYS

ARE ALL WEARING SNEAKERS --

HIGH-TOPS. LOOK AT THAT.

SO THAT'S --

THAT'S WHAT?

THAT'S CULTURE, RIGHT?

THEY GOT THEIR UNIFORM,

YOU GOT YOUR UNIFORM.

DOESN'T MEAN

ONE'S BETTER THAN THE OTHER.

LISTEN, MAN,

I WANT TO TALK:

ABOUT HOW Y'ALL

GET SPECIAL TREATMENT.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT

TO TALK ABOUT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING?

I GET HASSLED ALL THE TIME

'CAUSE I'M BLACK.

YEAH, THAT'S 'CAUSE

THE COPS KNOW:

THAT WE DON'T

COMMIT THE CRIMES.

WE'RE NOT BREAKING

INTO HOMES.

WE'RE NOT STEALING

CAR RADIOS LIKE --

NEITHER DO I.

WHAT, BECAUSE I'M BLACK,

I'M A CRIMINAL?

LISTEN, WE GET HASSLED

BY THE COPS, TOO.

I GOT ATTACKED,

AND THEY ACTED:

LIKE I WAS THE CRIMINAL.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW

ABOUT THAT, WHITE BOY?

YOU EVER BEEN:

PULLED OFF THE STREETS

AND BEATEN BY COPS?

WELCOME TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

THAT'S RIGHT.

HEY, YO,

THE REAL ISSUE HERE

IS THAT SOME JEW LET

A LITTLE BLACK BOY DIE

BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK

OF US AS HUMANS.

THAT'S BULLCRAP, MAN.

THAT'S SIMPLY NOT TRUE.

COME ON!

IT IS TRUE. WHAT ARE

YOU TALKING ABOUT, MAN?

YOUR AMBULANCE TOOK AWAY

THAT JEWISH DRIVER, NOT THE KID.

THAT GUY IN THAT AMBULANCE

WON A MEDAL:

FOR RESCUING A BLACK KID

FROM A FIRE JUST WEEKS AGO.

LETTING THAT KID DIE

WAS AN ATTACK ON ALL BLACKS.

NOBODY KILLED THAT KID.

IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

HOLD UP, HOLD UP.

WE HAVE A CHOICE HERE, MEN.

WE CAN LET OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

BE A WAR ZONE, RIGHT?

OR WE CAN GET:

TO KNOW EACH OTHER.

IF WE DON'T

GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER,

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK

AT EACH OTHER AS ALIENS,

AS STRANGERS,

AS THE ENEMY.

UNDERSTAND THAT?

IT'S A CHOICE.

YOU KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS?

THE TRUTH IS THAT

IF YOU CUT ANY OF US OPEN,

WE ALL LOOK THE SAME, RIGHT?

BUT DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT

TO KNOW IT?

YOU HAVE A CHOICE

RIGHT HERE.

YANKEL ROSENBAUM

DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE.

THEY KILLED HIM:

JUST 'CAUSE HE WAS A JEW.

THE JEWS STARTED IT

BY KILLING THAT KID.

YO, MAN, WE COULD

GO BACK AND FORTH ALL DAY

ABOUT WHAT WE DISAGREE ON,

BUT I GOT HOMEWORK TO DO.

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