Selma Page #8

But they will remember

the standoff in Selma

when you never even

set foot in this state.

They will remember you saying,

"Wait," and "I can't,"

unless you act, sir.

- Evenin'.

- Evenin'.

I wanted to speak privately.

I know there's been trouble

with the group,

and I apologize that our efforts

have caused a rift between y'all.

That's a painful thing, I know,

and I'm truly sorry it's happened.

Yeah, painful.

LBJ is not moving, John.

I thought he would,

but our efforts are not working,

and I can't risk another march

with people getting killed

when it's not working. I won't do it.

We need voting, not marching.

You know that.

We have to move beyond these protests

to some real political power.

This can't go on forever like this.

I can't go on like this.

When I was...

When I was working with SNCC

on the Freedom Rides,

the Montgomery bus

reached the city limits.

We got off. And out of nowhere,

from all directions, they came.

There was men, women.

Kids, too.

They had just about every makeshift

weapon you could think of.

I mean, bats, bricks,

tire irons, pipes.

I remember...

I remember this little girl

just clawing her nails

into the side of my friend Jessie's face

while her daddy...

Her daddy beat him with an ax handle.

Jessie was unconscious,

and they just kept beating on him

and beating on him.

I must've passed out

on the asphalt somewhere.

Next day, I found myself patched up

and sitting in a church.

I could barely hold my head up,

but I needed to be there.

You were gonna be speaking.

And I needed to hear you.

And I was feeling down,

but you got up there.

You remember that day at all?

I don't think we remember it

the same way.

What'd I say, John?

I'm about to tell you right now.

And I hope you hear me.

You said that we would triumph.

That we would triumph

because there could be no other way.

And you know what else you said?

You said,

"Fear not.

"We've come too far to turn back now."

I feel good about where we are.

We have a strong case.

- We can do this.

- Right.

Now, Ms. Cooper

and Ms. Boynton are here,

and they need to be ready.

A lot depends

on what they have to say. Okay?

I hear what you're saying, but...

You're here.

Yes, I'm here.

I'm glad.

Just in time.

In the matter of the Southern

Christian Leadership Conference

v. the state of Alabama,

I will now hear testimony

from the plaintiffs. Mr. Gray.

Your Honor, you will hear testimony

from the victims

who were beaten and bludgeoned

in their quest for freedom.

For their right to vote

and to self-determine.

The fact of the matter, Your Honor,

is that the incidents that occurred

cannot be disputed.

These particular circumstances

will paint a thorough picture

of the horrific events endured in Selma.

Very well, you may proceed.

Mr. King, you went out on that bridge

in direct violation of that judge's orders.

You deliberately disobeyed this judge

and the Governor, did you not?

Thousands of people came to Selma,

aroused by Sunday's brutal acts

exacted by officials of the city of Selma

and the state of Alabama.

I felt if I had not led the march,

pent-up emotions and inner tensions

would have led to an uncontrollable

retaliatory situation,

a violent situation on both sides.

I don't need any of your preaching

and prancing in here,

you hear? I want an answer.

- Objection.

- Watch it, counselor.

I'm trying very hard, Judge.

Try harder, counselor.

It seems basic to

our constitutional principles

that the extent of the right to assemble,

and demonstrate and march

along the highway in a peaceful manner

ought to be commensurate

with the enormity of the wrongs

that are being protested

and petitioned against.

In this case, the wrongs are enormous.

Therefore,

the extent of the right to demonstrate

in an estimated five-day march

from Selma to Montgomery

has been approved accordingly.

- Yes!

- Thank God!

There's no further business

with this court.

These proceedings are concluded,

with our thanks to the litigants.

Good day, gentlemen.

Yeah, that's right.

Well, now, we don't like

to have no mistakes, if you...

If you're sure about it.

Bayard says that Harry says

he can get Nina Simone,

Dick Gregory, Joan Baez,

Peter, Paul and Mary in.

Come on now.

We don't got money for that.

Well, Harry is chartering

a plane himself.

Day-O, day-O

Daylight come

and me wan' go home

President's angling for your blocking

of the march to be overturned.

Unfortunately, all my maneuvers

have been put on hold

while the matter's being adjudicated.

Governor, you wanted to talk.

Well, Mr. President...

Malcontents are disrupting Alabama,

and it's your responsibility to stop them.

They're protesting about the right to vote

and the way they're treated in your state.

So that's your problem,

your responsibility,

and it's on your watch.

Mr. President, I disagree.

We have a certain way things are done.

It's the way it is.

And it's the way

the people want it to stay.

George, why are you doing this?

Your whole career

has been working for the poor.

Why are you off on this black thing?

Well, 'cause you can't ever satisfy them.

First, it's the front seat of the bus.

Next, it's take over the parks,

then it's the public schools,

then it's voting, then it's jobs,

then it's distribution of wealth

without work.

George, you seen

all those demonstrators

out front of the White House

keeping my Lady Bird awake

the whole damn night?

Oh, yes, Mr. President. I saw them.

Well, let's go out there, you and I,

and announce that you've decided to

let the blacks vote undeterred,

and this whole mess will go away.

And I don't have to draft bills

or force the issue.

Now, why don't we do that, George?

Why don't you just let the n*ggers vote?

You agree they got the right to vote,

don't you?

There's no quarrel with that.

I know that. That's the law.

Then why don't you just let 'em vote?

I don't have that power.

It belongs to the county registrars.

Now, don't sh*t me

about who runs Alabama.

I don't have any legal power

over the county registrars,

Mr. President.

They have their regulations

and they adhere.

Are you trying to sh*t me,

George Wallace?

Are you trying

to f*** over your President?

Mr. President...

We shouldn't even

be thinking about 1965.

We should be thinking about 1985.

You and I'll be

both dead and gone by then.

In 1985, what do you want looking back?

You want people

remembering you sayin',

"Wait," or "I can't," or, "It's too hard"?

I don't right care what they think,

and you shouldn't neither.

Well...

I'll be damned if I'm gonna let history

put me in the same place

as the likes of you.

I speak tonight for the dignity of man

and the destiny of democracy.

At times, history and fate

meet at a single time in a single place.

So it was last week in Selma, Alabama.

There, long suffering men and women

peacefully protested the denial

of their rights as Americans.

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