Ghosts of Mississippi Page #8

...Iocated at 2332 Guynes Street."

That's pretty good, Benny...

...but just because you read

the part of a dead witness...

...doesn't mean you have to

act like you're actually dead.

I'm doing my best.

I know you are.

Medgar Evers' autopsy report

just came in.

You're not gonna believe this.

He's still dead.

Thank you, Clara.

I got off the phone with Charles Evers.

He won't come to the trial.

Did he say why?

He wouldn't say.

Get me the address

of his radio station.

They found a bullet fragment

in the body.

It's consistent with a.30-06 Enfield.

You'll be sorry. What happened to

that n*gger will happen to you.

Another one?

Closer we get to trial, the more

nutjobs will crawl out of the woodwork.

You got a gun?

Here. T ake this.

No, wait. T ake this.

T ake this.

That was Muddy Waters doing

his thing for y'all.

Now I'll play a little something

that goes way back.

The great Robert Johnson.

Mr. Evers?

-Hi, I'm--

-Bobby DeLaughter.

Please sit down.

Robert Johnson.

IKing of the Delta Blues.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

May your soul rise up to heaven...

...'fore the devil knows you're dead.

They say Robert Johnson sold his soul to

the devil to play the guitar like that.

What do you think?

If the devil wanted my soul, it'd cost

a lot more than some guitar lessons.

I believe after this trial's over...

...Mississippi come through this time.

That's why I came here

to talk with you, Mr. Evers.

Would you change your mind and come

to the trial? Your presence...

...would mean a great deal.

Let me tell you something.

Medgar was my baby brother.

There ain't nothing

I wouldn't do for him.

When we were little kids...

...we used to sleep in the same bed.

And on cold nights...

...I'd climb in first just so I could

warm up the sheets for him.

I didn't go to the first two trials.

Myrlie...

...a lot of people,

they criticized me for that.

But I won't go

to no third trial neither...

...and for the exact same reason.

I know if I ever got in the same room

with Byron De La Beckwith...

...as God is my witness...

...I'd wrap my hands around

his chicken neck and snap it in half.

And nobody...

...be able to stop me.

I wouldn't blame you.

Nobody hardly ever...

...remembers Medgar anymore.

Whites or blacks.

And that's a goddamn shame.

Because whatever rights

the black man has now...

...he's got because of something

called the Civil Rights Movement.

And for a long time here

in the state of Mississippi...

...before the television, newspapers,

back before the fancy speeches...

...my brother, Medgar, was

the Civil Rights Movement.

I'm sitting here tonight,

talking to my friend and your friend...

...Assistant District Attorney

Bobby DeLaughter.

We're talking about my brother,

Medgar Evers...

...and we're gonna play the blues

for Medgar all night long.

You and my sister-in-law...

...you get justice for my brother.

Devil, if you listening...

...I won't sell my soul

for no guitar lessons...

...but I'll sell my soul for that.

Are you surprised bail

was granted so quickly?

Mr. Beckwith was being held

as a political prisoner.

He's not been found guilty.

Why should he be kept in jail?

Mr. Scott, you're an officer

of the Nationalist Movement, correct?

Is that where the money came from

to secure his bond?

Mr. Beckwith has a lot of friends here.

We'll do whatever it takes.

Suppose he doesn't show for the trial?

Suppose he leaves the country?

If he runs, we'll find him.

How long will that take?

Another five years? Another 10?

I've already devoted a lifetime to this.

That ought to be enough.

Yes, ma'am. It sure ought to be.

I'm sorry, Bobby.

It's all right, Mrs. Evers.

It's quite all right.

-How's Jared doing?

-Fine.

He and Burt seem like

they've been brothers all their lives.

They all sleeping?

And that's what you should be doing.

I want the opening statement

to be great.

It was great when you read

it three nights ago.

Unless you snuck in something about...

...Beckwith deserving

the Nobel Peace Prize...

...I'm sure it'll be great

tomorrow morning.

You see? That's why I look to you.

Eliminate Nobel Peace Prize reference.

That's good.

I left a gift for you in appreciation

for everything you're doing...

... to ruin civilized society.

-What the hell is this?

-It's scheduled to go off at 10 p.m.

You have a nice night.

It's a bomb.

Everybody, get up.

Let's go.

What's going on?

It's nothing at all. Outside that door.

A little drill is all.

Head for the front door.

Is this still the drill?

Where are we going, Dad?

Told you we're going

to the Holiday Inn.

Is that where we're going?

The Holiday Inn?

That's right.

We haven't found anything,

but we'll go through it one more time.

I appreciate that.

I told them if anything ever happened,

all they had to do was walk away.

How're they supposed to walk away

from a bomb?

There wasn't a bomb.

This time.

If you want to give this thing up,

I understand.

No one could fault you. But the world

isn't going to be any safer.

I don't give a sh*t about the world.

These are my children.

Yes, they are.

Someday they'll be able

to tell their children...

...that their daddy put away

Medgar Evers' killer.

Medgar Evers was a fool,

and my daddy was right.

Doesn't matter how many

civil rights laws you pass.

You'll never legislate

how people think.

There are always gonna be

a few misguided people.

I'm not talking about a few people.

I'm talking about everybody, about us.

Do we have one single

black friend? No.

We don't have dinner with them

or have them over.

We don't sit with them in church.

You think this one trial will

magically change this?

No, I don't.

It's a step.

That's all anyone can do

is take a step.

Why do I have to take that step?

So some sick son of a b*tch

can murder my wife and kids?

Excuse me if I'm not interested

in taking that step.

Where are you going?

For a drive.

" I don't know if I'm going to heaven

or hell, but I'm going from Jackson."

We're on record in the matter

of Mississippi v. Byron De La Beckwith.

Does prosecution have

its opening statement?

We do, Your Honor.

Ladies and gentlemen...

...this is a very simple case.

It's about a man whose life

was snuffed out...

...on June the 12th of 1963...

...by a bullet that tore

through his body.

A bullet aimed out of prejudice...

...propelled by hatred...

...and fired by

a back-shooting coward...

...from ambush...

...at night.

The evidence will overwhelmingly show

that Byron De La Beckwith...

...a self-proclaimed, rabid racist

on a lifelong mission...

...to purge society

of anyone and anything...

...that stood for integration...

...is the man that fired that bullet.

Evidence will show how, when he

thought he beat the system...

...he bragged about what he'd done.

Bragged about getting

away with murder.

The evidence will undeniably show that

the person who pulled the trigger...

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