Ripped By mstoll
Last week on Family Ties:
Ever since Gus and Maya Thompson moved in here
to this neighborhood,
they have been threatened and harassed
with hate mail and-and phone calls.
I hope that we in this neighborhood
can continue to live in harmony
and to sell our homes to people of all creeds
and all colors, all races...
at tremendously inflated profits.
I am moving out now.
And there's a lot of you in this room here
who are gonna be following me,
even if you're too ashamed to admit it.
Right now, I'm not so sure
that staying here is the best thing for us to do.
Boy, that is the worst neighborhood meeting
I have ever been to.
I think so, too.
Why can't we live in a neighborhood
full of nice, thoughtful people
who care more about others than they do about themselves?
One where people say, "Hi, neighbor.
"How you doing there, neighbor?
Glad to see you here, neighbor."
In other words, Dad,
you want to live in Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.
Well, you've got to admit, Alex, it's a real nice place.
It's a beautiful day at the funny farm, too, Dad.
Well, I'm so upset with those people.
We... we've known Phil and Nancy how many years?
How can they sit there and say that they're thinking
of moving if their property value goes down?
I know. It makes me want
to put our house up for sale and move out.
I feel the same way.
Wait. If we move, won't it look like we're running away
from the Thompsons, too?
She's right.
We can't move unless the Thompsons move.
And if the Thompsons stay, we can stay.
Well, what if the Thompsons decide to live here
in the summers and somewhere else in the winters?
We'd go with them.
I guess we were pretty naive when we urged Gus and Maya
to move into this neighborhood.
Sure, you're naive, Mom, but I...
I mean, nobody who came of age in the '60s
has a great deal of savoir faire.
It's true.
I mean, you two don't have a whole lot of...
that stuff.
Four years of French at Grant College,
ladies and gentlemen.
You know, I never really thought of it before,
but why do we live in an all-white neighborhood?
You don't remember, Jen, but it wasn't all white
when we moved in here.
That's one of the reasons we liked it.
Oh, I remember when I was little,
I had this, uh, friend down the street named Maggie.
And one day, she asked me
how come my skin wasn't black like hers.
And the only reason I could think of
is that we washed with Ivory soap
and it was dyeing my skin.
It's a good thing you didn't use Selsun Blue.
Do you know, if we could just hold on
to that kind of innocence all our lives,
then there wouldn't be any discrimination.
I mean, people would be accepted for their character
and not their color.
I mean, how many years can some people exist
before they're allowed to be free?
Okay, you finished? Huh?
Oh, come on. Snap out of it. That is old.
I think we should go across the street and apologize
to Gus and Maya for getting them into this mess.
I feel responsible.
I don't think we should bother them right now, Elyse.
They probably want to be alone to, uh, discuss things.
Oh, you're probably right.
If we went over there, we'd just wind up interfering.
And they have to decide what's best for them.
Is it possible that they're really
going to mind their own business?
No, way, Jen.
I mean, look at them eyeing the door.
See that? See Dad's left foot?
See he's starting to make a move?
Any minute, Mom's gonna put down the coffee cup
and say something like...
I could use some fresh air.
How about a walk?
And then he'll say...
A walk?
Good idea. Let's go.
You two are good.
One in favor of moving.
One not in favor of moving.
And one more in favor of moving.
Well, it looks like we have a tie.
Since when does two-to-one make a tie, Dad?
Well, I had to disqualify this one
because of poor penmanship.
You always were a poor loser, Gus.
Look, I know you both want to move,
but I'm afraid that if we let ourselves
be run out of our home,
we're never gonna be able to hold our heads up again.
Dad, don't let pride get in the way here.
We're talking about your safety.
Look, I'm not talking about pride.
I'm talking about simple human dignity.
Tell me, Dad.
How dignified do you feel when you hear somebody
shouting racist slogans in your ear
every time you pick up that phone?
How'd you do that?
Uh-uh. Let me, Maya.
Hello.
Oh?
I see.
Uh-huh.
Well, uh, okay, uh, thanks for the warning.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, uh-huh, we'll be on guard.
What was the warning about? Should we call the police?
Alex thinks so.
He says Steven and Elyse are coming over.
They've been singing some of those white protest songs.
Let's make a run for it.
I work with the guy.
You two save yourselves.
Ah. We were taking a walk,
and we suddenly remembered we wanted to borrow a...
A ladder.
Okay, uh, let's go around back to the garage.
Oh, uh, we don't need that right this minute.
Next week would be fine.
Our climbing plans are loose.
Oh, okay.
Well, then, uh, you might as well come in, then.
Oh, uh, well, I guess we could do that, couldn't we, Elyse?
Uh, we could.
Yeah, yeah, let's... All right.
- Hey, we're in, we're in. - Hi, Maya.
Hi, Elyse.
Steve, good to see you.
- Hi, Steve. - Good to see you. My pleasure.
Sit down, honey, sit down.
Yeah, we got some time.
Sure.
Well, hi.
Okay, you can interfere now.
Just want to tell you
how badly we feel about how the meeting went.
It... it really backfired.
No, it didn't.
It just opened our eyes
to the way the neighborhood really feels about us.
Look, we just need some time to work this out.
I'm sure most of these people will come around.
Steven, we took a family vote, and we decided to move.
You took a family vote without us?
We love you, Steve, old buddy,
but, uh, you're not actually in our family.
And even though it didn't work out here,
we still appreciate everything you did for us.
Oh, yes, especially the part where you encouraged us
to move into this bastion of racial equality.
But you don't blame us?
"Blame" is such a strong word.
Of course we don't blame you.
I mean, uh, it's our own fault that we forgot how naive you are
when it comes to such ugly things like racism.
Does everyone in the world think we're naive?
- Yes. - Yeah, that's true.
But it's a compliment.
You two are so pure of heart that it never occurs to you
that others aren't that way.
You are very special people.
So you forgive us for getting you into this mess.
"Forgive" is such a strong word.
Look, I-I realize
we put you in an awfully uncomfortable position,
and I... and I apologize for that.
But in spite of everything,
we'd really love to have you as our neighbors, and...
and we'll do everything we can to help you stay.
I'm with Elyse and Steven.
Yes, yes, I think, if we move, we're making a big mistake.
And I-I tell you, I just don't feel good about it.
Yeah?
Well, I don't feel good about going off to Harvard
and-and leaving you two alone.
Your mother and I will decide what's best for this family.
That's why I didn't count her vote.
Honey, give it up. You lost the vote.
You know, I fought against discrimination as hard as you.
But I don't want to fight the battle when I come home.
Well...
what about that cute little window seat?
I mean, we looked a long time
to find a house with a window seat, buttercup.
That's a mighty fine window seat, buttercup.
What good is a window seat
if you're afraid to sit in the window?
That was some of the best Italian food I've ever tasted.
We'll have to come back to Guido's, Gus.
Well, there are a lot of restaurants you can try out
if you stay in the neighborhood.
Steven, I must say I'm truly enjoying
the way you've been trying all week
to make me change my mind about moving.
- Is it having any effect? - Oh, a lot.
It's convincing me I might want to move after all.
There's something wrong with this door.
I can't seem to get it unlocked.
Mom, Dad, I don't think you should go in there.
Let's just go across the street to the Keatons'
- until the police come. - Police?
- What's going on in there? - Dad, don't! Don't!
Who did this?
I don't know, Dad.
They didn't sign the guest book.
Michael, are you all right?
Yeah, I'm fine. I got here after it happened.
I already called the police, and they're on their way over.
How could anybody do this?
Oh, Gus, they even wrote on the walls.
What does "whits only" mean?
It means that somewhere
there's a bigot running around with a big "E."
You're gonna stay at our house tonight
till we get this mess cleaned up.
No, we will not.
We're getting out of this neighborhood tonight.
It's over. I'm going upstairs to pack.
I'll help you.
Is this the house that reported a break-in?
Take a wild guess.
How do you do?
I'm, uh... Officer Steele.
This is, uh, my partner Officer Larson.
Who reported the break-in?
I did.
You came home and found it this way?
No, he came home, he slashed the furniture,
he wrote on the walls, then he called us.
I'm signing us up for therapy.
Hey, I saw the police car outside.
Oh, my God, did somebody break in?
No, Mal, they came home, did this themselves
and called the police.
Have we met before?
I don't think so.
Hey.
Hey, what does "whits only" mean?
I think there's a letter missing, Mal.
Oh.
Of course.
Which one?
Uh, did, uh... did either one of you see anybody come in
or go out of this house tonight?
Oh, my boyfriend Nick has taught me
to be very observant about cars,
and I noticed a 1988 powder blue, um, uh,
Mercury Topaz GS with sheepskin seat covers.
I knew it was suspicious the minute I saw it.
That's my car.
Gus, you're under arrest.
FBI material if I ever saw it.
Hey, that's no way to talk about your girlfriend, Nick.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
First of all,
don't ever call me Nick.
Sorry... Nicholas.
All right, uh,
let's get this report filled out.
Who's the owner of the house?
I am.
But not for long.
Hey, sport, where you been?
Timmy's house.
Timmy's dad said the Thompsons are moving
'cause nobody wants black people here.
Is that true, Alex?
Well...
I hate to say it, Andy, but unfortunately
there are some people who feel that way.
Why?
Uh...
because...
they have this ignorant idea
that they're better than everybody else.
You always say that about yourself.
Yeah, well...
I'm kind of joking when I say that.
No, you aren't.
I got to stop saying that.
Timmy's dad is telling everybody our house
is worth less money 'cause black people live here.
Who is Timmy's dad... the town crier?
Listen, Andy, I want to tell you something.
In the strictest confidence, okay?
I don't want you telling
anybody else I said this, all right?
Is that a promise?
- Promise. - All right.
In this situation,
money's not important.
Mom, Dad, Alex has a fever!
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa...
Andy...
I'm fine, okay?
It's just...
it's just that w-we have to treat
everybody fairly and equally
whether th-they're white, they're black
or-or my personal favorite, treasury-note green.
All right?
- Promise. - Promise.
What's this about a fever?
Oh, that-that-that's just a little game we play.
We-we accuse each other of having different ailments.
You have fallen arches.
Whatever happened to "Ring Around the Rosie"?
Go get washed up for lunch, honey.
Hey, hey, keep those arches up.
- Uh-huh. - Hi.
We just heard the Thompsons' house
was vandalized last night.
This is really terrible.
Are they all right?
Yeah, th-they're fine,
but why are you suddenly so concerned?
I didn't hear you speaking up for them at the meeting.
It was different when we were talking
about the value of our homes, but, well,
now we're talking about violence.
We can't sit back and let that happen.
It-it's not different... it was just easier
to pretend it didn't matter before.
Look, you either support the right of people
to live where they please or you don't.
Well, that's easy for you to say.
I mean, you're a two-income family.
You can afford to let the value of your home drop
without it affecting you so much.
Are you saying that if you were a two-income family
you'd feel differently about the Thompsons moving in?
Yes, absolutely.
Phil, get a job.
Well, I don't want to.
I like it at home.
I think we're getting off the point here.
Where do you draw the line
between protecting another family's civil rights
and your own family's financial well-being?
I'd like to think that I'd live in a tent
before I give in to this sort of prejudice.
Yeah, well, it'd be my tent.
You borrowed it last August, Keaton.
Look, we're not prejudiced.
I think there's a fine line
between prejudice and complicity.
I mean, your silence is as damaging as-as the graffiti
on the Thompsons' wall.
- It is not. - It is so.
And get a job.
Look, look...
this isn't getting us anywhere.
Let's just stop making accusations.
Where were you at approximately 10:15 last night?
As a matter of fact, I was watching television
with the kids.
And it was one of your documentaries, Steven.
- Oh, Hieroglyphic Humor? - Right.
Um, how did you like it?
The jokes were a little old.
Wait a minute.
You don't seriously suspect us
of breaking in to their house, do you?
Frankly, I don't know what to think about anyone
around here anymore.
Steven, where were you at approximately 10:15 last night?
Oh, what a mess.
Let's go back to the hotel.
They sure trashed this place.
Well, I don't know.
I always thought that lamp would look better over there.
Come on, Michael, that was a joke. Laugh.
How can you joke at a time like this?
But this is the kind of time you need to laugh most.
Your father and I learned that a long time ago.
Hey, you remember that freedom march in Selma in '65.
We laughed that day.
Yes we did.
What exactly made you laugh?
Your father used to tell the worst jokes
just to keep my spirits up.
Hey, now, wait a minute.
They weren't so bad.
Oh, really?
Do you think it was a coincidence
that the stone throwing started
whenever you said, "Knock, knock"?
She's kidding.
I wonder who...
Keaton Cleaning Brigade at your service.
No job too small.
Some jobs too big.
What does "whits only" mean?
There's a letter missing.
Somewhere.
Where should we start?
How about anywhere?
- Right, okay. - Okay.
Oh, Gus.
They destroyed your Lawrence Welk collection.
Racism takes many ugly forms.
A one and a two.
Uh-oh, he's starting to bubble.
Gus, I know this can
in no way make up for what's happened here, but...
I'd like you to have my Lawrence Welk record collection.
No, Alex, I-I couldn't. No.
- Yes, you could, please. - Take it with our blessing.
All right, all right.
Thank you, Alex.
Gus, we're gonna need some extra boxes
for all this stuff.
Oh, well, we got lots of boxes in the basement.
Yeah, come on, let's go get them.
Okay, let's go.
Hey, Michael, what are these pictures of?
Oh, well, in this one, my folks were thrown out
of a segregated lunch counter in Mobile.
And in this one, they were thrown out
of a segregated lunch counter in Birmingham.
Can you imagine being 20 years old
and choosing to walk through an angry mob
just to get a drink out of a public fountain?
I would never have the guts to do that.
I don't even have the guts to walk through school
in gaucho pants.
You know, your parents really went through
a lot back then, Michael.
They sure did.
They were turned away from public schools.
They couldn't sit at lunch counters next to whites.
They couldn't live in the neighborhoods they wanted to.
Looks like they still can't.
- It's really crazy, isn't it? - Yeah.
I mean, how many years can some people exist
before they're allowed to be free?
Finally.
Proof that they're ours.
What's this picture with all these people
at the Lincoln Memorial?
Uh, the march on Washington.
That's where Martin Luther King made his famous speech.
"Now is the time
"to lift up our nation
"from the quicksand of racial injustice
to the solid rock of brotherhood."
You know it, Michael.
How could I grow up in the same house
with you two and not know it?
Well, I wonder what Dr. King would say about the situation
in this house today.
He'd say we can't move.
That we got to stay here and continue to fight.
And what would you say?
You and your friends fought long and hard
to win us certain basic rights.
And now it's my turn...
to fight for them.
Finally proof that he's ours.
I always wanted a window seat.
They're not going to make us move out
of this neighborhood.
Even if they pound down that door.
How do you do that?
- Hi. - Hi.
Can we come in?
- Nancy, what are you... - Hi, guys.
- Hi. - Hi.
We, uh, would've been here sooner,
but first we had to raid Keaton's garage
to get our tools back.
I know you have every reason to turn us away,
but we would very much like to help you
get your home back together.
We're ashamed that it took this violence
to get us to come over here.
But we're here now, and, um,
we'd like to do everything we can to make you feel
welcome and safe in your neighborhood.
Well, we certainly could use the help.
What does "whits only" mean?
Let's clear this up once and for all.
Now we'll never know.
Hey.
- Hmm? - Gus.
Here, here we go, here we go, here we go, here we...
Mm-hmm.
That's better.
You know, Gus, you could have this man arrested
for defacing your property.
Aw, no, no, no.
I wouldn't do that to my neighbor.
Ripped By mstoll
Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog.