The Great Debaters Page #2

so your syllogism fell apart.

- Syllogism?

- Your logic fell apart.

Major premise,

the unemployed are starving.

Minor premise,

Mr. Burgess is unemployed.

Conclusion, Mr. Burgess

is starving.

Your major premise was

based on a faulty assumption.

Classic fallacy.

Who's next?

You were right.

- Tell us your name.

- I'm Henry Lowe with an "e".

All right, Mr. Lowe. I will name a subject,

you speak a few words

opportune quote from the literature.

Go ahead.

Beauty.

/"I heard the old, old men say

all that's beautiful drifts away...

/...like the waters."

(William Butler Yeats)

Very good.

History.

And name the author this time.

/"History is a nightmare

from which I'm trying to awake."

James Joyce.

Self-pity.

/"I never saw a wild thing

sorry for itself."

D. H. Lawrence.

I love D. H. Lawrence,

have you ever read?

- Mr. Farmer.

- Yes, sir.

I have eyes on the back of my

head and ears on both sides.

Stand up.

Tell me the irony in the name

Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

Bethlehem is the bithplace

of Jesus, Prince of peace.

And Bethlehem Steel makes weapons of war.

Very good, sit down.

Good.

/Who's next?

Samantha.

Mr. Tolson, he is tough, isn't he?

Sure he is.

I'm James.

Is your father Dr. James Farmer?

Yes, he is.

I'm taking the eulogy from him and that

man speaks in tongues.

French, Greek, Hebrew, Latin.

How many languages does he speak?

- Seven languages.

- Seven languages.

He must be the smartest

man in Texas.

That's not saying much.

So why do you want

to be on the team?

I think, it would be a good training.

- For what?

- Being a lawyer.

Lawyer? It's great.

You know how many negro women

practise law in the state?

- Two.

- Exactly.

One it was a hot.

But look at you, Mr. Farmer,

how old are you anyway?

I'll be 16.

In 21 months.

Young lady, James!

I just want to thank you.

- For what?

- For your performance tonight.

I mean, how many other students

have a stand-up to Tolson?

- I did.

- No, you answered a question.

And I spout off few quotes.

Miss Brooke with an "e"...

- She fought back.

- And lost.

But you did't have to lose. Why isn't the

"Fire Side Chat" a legitimate source?

Because Tolson said so?

Nobody has better access to

those statistics than the President.

If you'd have called Tolson

on that, you'd have won.

I don't know. I'm sure that

he would be able to come up with something.

Goodnight, James!

Goodnight, Samantha.

Can you believe that he's 14

years old and he's in the college?

You are gifted, all of you.

But I want you to know that I chose

this team for balance.

And none of you should

take it as a failure.

As a denigration of your intellect.

Denigrate, that's the word for you.

From Latin word "Niger", to defame, to black.

Is always there, isn't it? Even in the dictionary.

Even in the speech of a negro professor.

Somehow black is always

acquainted with failure.

Well write in your own dictionary and

mark this as a new beginning.

Whether you make the team or not.

The Wiley College for Ransack

Society of 1935-36, is as follows.

The debaters will be...

Mr. Hamilton Burgess,

from last year's team.

Sit down, Mr. Burgess.

Mr. Henry Lowe.

Our alternates, Miss

Samantha Booke with an "e".

And finally...

Junior!

Slow down!

- Where is dad?

- Quiet, he's writing the lecture.

- Dad.

- Junior.

What is the greatest

weakness of man?

Not believing? Doubt?

That's it. Thank you Junior.

Matthew 14:
31.

That will be the lesson.

Dad.

/"Oh, you of little faith

why do you doubt?"

- Dad.

- What is it, son?

I made the debate team.

Well, congratulations!

And who is on your team?

There is 4 of us,

I'm one of the alternates.

Who's ahead of you?

Hamilton Burgess and Henry Lowe.

And another alternate

is Samantha Booke.

- There's a girl?

- She wants to be a lawyer.

- Lawyer?

- She is very intelligent.

Is she pretty?

I don't know.

I've never really noticed.

Because extracurricular activities

like the debate team are fine.

But you must not take

the eye of the ball, son.

Yes, sir.

So, what do we do here?

We do we have to do,

so we can do we want to do.

- What do you have to do right now?

- My homework.

- Do get toward.

- Yes, sir.

My daddy owns grubs so there're as

apples, bananas, cookies,

donuts, eggs, figs and gonzolabic.

- Nice.

- What is a gonzolabic?

Hogwash, hogwash.

Ready, steady, go!

- Apricot.

- Oh, come on.

- Why no apricot?

Look out!

Who was there?

I'm not sure.

- Sit down!

- You stay put.

- What is it?

- It's pig.

Only pig.

Shut up, dog!

Junior get into the car.

- What the hell happened to my hog?

- Sorry about that.

Came out of nowhere I didn't see coming.

- You kill my hog, boy .

- I'm truly sorry. I gladly pay you for it.

How much? How much you want?

Some cost you 25 dollars.

Only have a few bucks on

right now but I can...

I do have a cheque.

My monthly cheque from

Wiley College in Marshall.

It's 17 dollars 36 cents.

You may have that,

and I would endorse that over to you.

You do what?

I will sign the cheque over to you.

- Well, let me see it.

- Is in the car with my wife.

Can I walk to the car now?

Junior, get in the car.

- Give me the salary cheque, Pearl.

- We need that money, James.

Just give me the cheque.

Come on.

I thought it was in here.

Relax. All right, you'll find.

Here is.

Here it is.

The cheque better be good, boy.

Is good.

Well, pick it up!

What the hell you think you're going?

You gotta help us

get this hog in my truck.

Come on, grab the tail in there, boy.

All right, on three.

Damned nigers a bit too good to

get the hands dirty.

- Dad.

- I told you to get in the car.

When I tell you to do something,

Junior, you do it.

- Who's the judge?

- The judge is God.

Why is he God?

Because he decides who

wins or loses not my opponent.

- Who is your opponent?

- He doesn't exist.

Why does he not exist?

Because he is a mute dissenting

voice of the truth I speak!

Who is the judge?

The judge is God.

Why is he God?

Because he decides who

wins or loses not my opponent.

- Who's your opponent?

- He doesn't exist.

Why does he not exist?

Because he is a mute dissenting

voice of the truth I speak!

Who is the judge?

The judge is God.

Why is he God?

Because he decides who

wins or loses not my opponent.

- Who is your opponent?

- He doesn't exist.

Why does he not exist?

Because he is a mute dissenting

voice of the truth I speak!

Who is the judge?

- The judge is God.

- Louder!

The judge is God.

Why is he God?

Because he decides who

wins or loses not my opponent.

- Who is your opponent?

- He doesn't exist.

Why does he not exist?

Because he is a mute dissenting

voice of the truth I speak!

Speak the truth!

Speak the truth!

Yes, sir. I do like to talk.

Is that a virtue or a vice?

Well, I have to admit I've always

wanted to be the quiet mysterious type.

Only I can't keep my mouth ain't long enough.

Would you punch yourself

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