That's What I Am Page #4

And every man is free

Where wretchedness will hang its head

And joy, like a pearl

Attends the needs of all mankind

Of such a world, I dream

So the poem's

about not being prejudiced?

Well, Mr. Simon says

we can pick only one word.

- It has to mean the same to us.

- What's wrong with prejudice?

- The poem's about being prejudiced.

- Yeah...

...but prejudice can mean different things

to people.

- No, it can't.

- Sure, it can.

It would change depending if you...

No one's prejudiced against you,

so it's different for you than others.

So you're saying I'd have to be a Negro

to understand it?

No, people are prejudiced

for all kinds of reasons.

Negroes just happen

to be one of the majors.

Okay, so you got a better word?

How about tolerance?

Tolerance?

Okay. Now, why does that work?

I looked it up.

"Sympathy or indulgence...

...for beliefs or practices differing from

or conflicting with one's own.

Or the act of allowing something

to be different."

So the guy in the poem

dreams of a world...

...where people let each other

be different?

Yeah, that's why tolerance

is such a great word.

It's not even saying

you have to like the other person.

It's just saying leave them alone.

Okay. So now we write a short story

about being tolerant?

Yeah.

I told you never to come

in my room again, you little freak.

No, no, no.

No, no, no. I forgot. I swear.

I swear I forgot.

I wanna ask a question.

I'll clean your room for a week.

What?

Could a teacher get fired

if he's a homo?

Definitely. Now get out.

- One more question.

- One more week, freak.

Okay.

What exactly is a homo?

The whole house

smells like a glue factory.

You're using too much glue again,

aren't you?

Well, I want it to stick.

It'll stick with less glue.

Come here, I'll do it. You watch.

Come on, move over. Move.

I almost had it, Dad.

You did not. You did not have it.

Just watch and learn.

- Where are the directions? Right here?

- Yeah.

Have you read these?

- Beginning to end before you started?

- Yeah.

See, look at that.

You were using too much glue.

The directions say you can take off

extra glue with a razor blade.

Or you could just do it right the first time

then you don't have that trouble.

Come on, pal.

You'll end up cutting your finger off.

That'd be bad, right?

Look, you got a mess here.

I have some homework to finish.

If you have homework to finish,

you shouldn't even be doing this.

You know better.

The holiday was tapped

a Lunar New Year.

For the first time,

the Vietcong invaded the cities in force...

...including Saigon...

- Did you finish homework?

- Yeah.

- A suicide attack into the grounds...

...of the American Embassy.

- Mom?

Did kids go steady

when you were in the eighth grade?

Yeah, Andy.

Even in the old days.

What was it like?

It's pretty much always been the same.

I think the only things that really change

are the clothes and the music.

American Marines were surrounded

and under siege.

Why?

- Are you thinking about going steady?

- No.

No, I'm just, you know, wondering

if it ever comes up.

So was it fun

or did it make you nervous?

I seem to remember it

as being pretty fun.

I mean, and a little nerve-racking.

It doesn't last long, though.

At least not in eighth grade.

Yeah, I've noticed that.

I'm gonna go see if Dad's finished

my model yet.

Andy?

Make sure you wear that deodorant

I bought you every day, okay?

- Why? Do I smell?

- Oh, no, no. I just...

You never know when it's gonna start.

And you just don't want it to start

at the wrong time, right?

Yeah. Sure, Mom.

One more question.

What's a homo?

The other kids know about this?

Yeah, they do.

I was afraid to talk about it at first.

Then I heard other kids talking about it,

and I thought I better say something.

You did right telling me this.

- Hey, you didn't tell him, did you?

- Of course.

Did you want him to find out

from the other kids?

That's how everyone else finds out.

Why should our kid be different?

He asked me.

What else was I supposed to do?

You could tell him

he's not old enough to know.

The kids at school are talking about it.

Hey, do we know if it's true?

No.

You know how kids start these rumors.

Well, do we know if it's not true?

I don't know that we want someone

like that teaching our kid.

He's the best teacher that school has.

People talk about it

like it's a contagious disease.

Stop it, you don't know how someone

becomes something like that.

The whole country is going to hell

in a handbasket.

Hippies protesting the Vietnam War.

And now, what now?

Now we got homosexuals

teaching our kids.

Teachers are role models, Sherri.

They look up to him.

Have you thought about that?

They look up to him

because he's a wonderful teacher.

Not because of what he does

in his bedroom at night.

Why do you even gotta talk like that?

Oh, the whole thing is absurd.

Fine, fine. Okay, it's absurd.

I tell you, I, for one,

am gonna monitor the situation...

...until I know exactly

what the hell is going on.

May I have the pillow please?

Thank you.

Good night.

When my mother explained to me

what a homosexual was...

... she thankfully spared me

the technicalities.

My father was right.

I wasn't ready.

The more conventional male- female

approach was still relatively new to me.

She said a homosexual was capable

of a deeper love...

... for another man than a woman.

And she assured me that it had absolutely

nothing to do with Mr. Simon's character.

And insisted he was still the best teacher

I would probably ever have.

And that was all that mattered.

Count is now one and one with two outs.

Runner at first.

Swings at the first pitch, and fouls it

deep back into the stands behind...

Turn the game off, Ed. We need to talk.

- How about later?

- No.

Now, Ed.

Okay, kids. Once around the block.

Mr. Simon?

This is the coolest car ever made.

- Yeah, it is pretty cool, isn't it?

- Yes.

Hey, Nichol. Where have you been?

- Sorry.

- The car is unbelievable.

Yeah. Maybe you can get in line

with your pal pumpkin head over there.

Looks like you two just can't get enough

of each other.

Good Simon has a convertible.

- I don't think freako's head would fit.

- Shut up, Ricky.

Maybe you wanna ride with them, Mary.

You, Nichol, Cro-Magnon man.

- Maybe I will.

- Look, Dan...

...I can't go anyway.

That's what I came to tell you.

Old Tuna Breath's got me doing work

in the office...

...so I'll see you later.

With all due respect, Mr. Freel,

that is a very dangerous accusation.

A man's reputation is at stake.

I hope you have some proof.

I've got my boy's word.

He says it's all over school.

You've got a real problem with a teacher.

You need to do something about that.

You are talking about a man

who was voted...

...the California Teacher of the Year

last year...

...and nominated many years

before that.

Just because he's won some awards

doesn't mean that he's not some pervert.

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