Almost Normal Again

I want you to analyse and interpret all the 

events surrounding Derek's incarceration.

How these events helped shape 

your present perspective concerning

Life in contemporary America.

The impact on your life. Your Family's.

Whatever you wanna say, Danny,

I'll be the only one reading it.

Eddie Murphy - The Amityville Horror #shorts

DANIEL VINEYARD,

Brother of Derek : 

Dad was gone.

But things were 

almost normal again.

Derek had a good job.

Mom was starting 

to live a little.

Everyone was feeling so good

that we just didn't see it coming.

Maybe we should have.

The irony is that most of the stores

that were destroyed during The Riots

were owned by Black People.

That's stupid though. I mean

why trash your own neighborhood?

Well, that's my point.

It's an irrational act.

It's like an expression of rage

by people who feel neglected

and turned away by the system.

Exactly. I mean, it's like

we had in Watts

or the riots in Chicago in '68

DEREK: It's crap. I don't

buy that for a minute.

Calling a riot an irrational expression

of rage, that's such a cop-out.

It's opportunism at its worst.

That's a bunch of people

grabbing any excuse they can find

to go and loot a store, nothing more.

Another fact, these people

ripped off the stores

in their own communities all

reflects the degree to which

these people absolutely have

no respect for the law at all.

And certainly no concept of, like,

community or civic responsibility.

Wait a minute. White people commit

crimes against white people too.

But they're not offing each other

in record numbers all over America.

Look at the statistics, for chrissake.

One in every 3 black males is in

some phase of the correctional system.

Is that a coincidence or do these people have,

you know like, a racial commitment to crime?

Not only that. They're proud of it.

Well, maybe it says something about

prejudice in the judicial system.

Yeah, if you wanna talk

about criminal statistics,

you should wanna take a look at the

social inequalities that produce them.

Yap, yap. You know what?

That's exactly what I hate because

what you doing, Davina, is taking one

thing and calling it something else

and just, you know, alleviating the responsibility

that these people have for their own actions.

You know, it's like saying:

"It's not a riot, it's rage.

It's not crime, it's poverty."

It's just nonsense. It's bullshit.

It's exactly what happened in this trial too.

Because the media twisted things around so

people gotta focused on, you know, these cops

whether or not they'd get convicted

and whether Rodney King's civil

rights had been violated. I mean

everybody lost sight

of Rodney King himself.

I mean he is a multiple

felon by his own admission.

He's high as a goddamn kite, driving

120 miles an hour down the highway.

He gets pulled over by a bunch

of cops and he attacks them.

He attacked police officers.

That's the bottom line. And he walked.

And there's some yahoo with a video

camera who turned it on halfway through

so all we see is them hitting him.

Exactly you know. Powell and Koon winding

up and cracking him with billy clubs

and Briseno's kicking him in the back

of the skull. So it looks severe.

You know and people behind:

"Oh, this poor guy."

This poor guy who attacked 4 cops.

And those cops end up on the

stand defending themselves

for using absolutely standard,

textbook seIf-defense procedures.

I don't think the tape showed that at all.

You didn't think so?

And what, you're an authority, Ma?

Murray, what do you think?

I did think that the police used

their clubs rather excessively.

Who you to say what's excessive?

I think it was totally appropriate.

I think they're in a better position to

make that judgement call than you are.

In fact, we as society, grant cops a certain

amount of authority to make those callls

because we acknowledge that their

job is difficult and dangerous.

You know? Unfortunately, very few

people, like, respect that authority.

Look who's talking about respect

here, Mr. Junior-KKK.

What?

Davina.

You wanna go to college, Davina.

You should learn to listen.

Derek. I didn't say I respected laws.

I acknowledge a cop's authority.

I don't respect any laws that let monkeys

like Rodney King back on the street.

Second, I am not, as you well know,

a member of a low-rent, disorganized

bunch of rednecks like the fucking KKK.

Please. So take your

head out of your ass.

You've gotten off the point.

I mean

I had a point. That wasn't any point.

Do you have one? What is your point, Derek?

All right, think about this.

If Danny had been walking

across the street that night

and Rodney King had plowed into him.

Can we just drop this Rodney King thing?

Who would like some dessert?

We're having a discussion.

We're having a nice discussion, right?

If Rodney King had been driving along,

hopped up on Chivas Regal and PCP

and killed Danny, you'd sing

a very different tune about the...

I didn't see him hit anybody

in the tape and neither did you.

He didn't happen to kill anybody.

Thank God.

Keep it down, okay? Ally's sleeping.

If he had, though? Come on, think about it.

If that fucking monkey had run some kid over

everybody would have a very different

opinion of this whole matter.

They'd be focused on Rodney King

and not on these officers.

But instead, he just attacked a few cops.

And so all of the sudden it's Hands Across

America for this fucking total son of a bitch.

I mean, it blows my mind.

We're so hung up on this

notion we have some

obligation to help the struggling

black man. You know,

cut him some slack until he can

overcome these historical injustices.

It's crap. This stuff you guys

are saying just perpetuates it.

All this liberal nonsense.

You know.

Everyone's turning looking the other way

while our country rots from inside out.

In Christ, Lincoln freed the slaves,

what, like, 130 years ago.

How long does it take

to get your act together?

Well, Jews have been persecuted

for over 5000 years.

Are you saying that it's wrong to

feel sensitive about anti-Semitism?

STACEY: Forget that. I'm with you.

I am with you alI the way, baby.

I'm so sick of these liberal hypocrites.

Here we go again. l love this part.

This is great! Well, look at the way

that they scapegoated Chief Gates.

I mean you'd tell me they'd come down

that hard on black Willie Williams?

No way! Because that videotape was a setup to get

rid of Gates. Jesus Christ. Can I please be excused?

Yes. No, you cannot.

Don't interrupt.

Excuse me, I was talking.

I listened to you.

Don't interrupt her.

Who the hell do you think you are?

She's right in the middle of making a point.

Who the hell do you think you are?

Hey Davina, sit down!

No. Fuck you!

DEREK: Sit down! Be quiet! Shut up!

MURRAY: Derek, calm down.

Sit down! No.

Derek, calm down.

Shut up!

Don't tell him to shut up!

No. Sit your ass down!

Fuck move! No.

Sit down, shut your mouth!

Get out of my way! Move!

Goddamn it, Derek, move!

Sit down, shut your mouth and

give my girlfriend some respect.

Derek, what are you trying to prove?

Murray, stay out of it! Come here. Hey.

Where do you think you're going? Get back.

Derek, let her go! Derek, let her go! Stop.

DEREK: Come here!

You need to learn some

fucking manners, Davina.

Shut your fucking mouth!

Shut up! Derek!

Stop!

She can't breathe!

DORIS: Let her go!

Will you apologize?

Will you apologize?

Are you?

You're a fucking asshole.

I hate you!

What are you doing, Derek?

This is your family.

Right, my family. So you know what?

I don't give two shits about you or

anybody else or what you think.

You're not part of it you never will be.

That has nothing to do with it!

DEREK: lt doesn't?

You don't think l see what

you're trying to do here?

You think I'll sit here and smile while

some fucking kike tries to fuck my mother?

It's never gonna happen, Murray!

Fucking forget it. Not on my watch.

Not while I'm in this family.

I will fucking cut your Shylock nose

off and stick it up your ass

before I let that happen.

Coming in here

and poisoning my family's dinner with

your Jewish, nigger-loving, hippie bullshit?

Fuck you!

Yeah, walk out.

Asshole-fucking, Cabala-reading

motherfucker!

Get the fuck out of my house!

You see this?

That means "not welcome."

What did l do?

You disgust me, you know that?

You disgust me. Bring him to our table,

primping your hair and your dress!

Don't touch me! All tarted up!

What did l do to you?

How could you bring him to my father's table?

How could you go from Dad to that?

Aren't you ashamed?

I'm ashamed that you came out of my body!

Go run to your fucking kike!

Go run to him!

It's okay. I'm proud of you, baby.

I'm so sorry, Doris.

I really am.

He's gone.

He's just a boy

without a father.

Doris, you don't know the world

your children are living in.

Goodbye.

Hey. You all right?

Take this, you fucking dick!

Hey, no. No, come here!

Fuck you!

Davina, calm down!

Get off me!

Calm down!

Let me go, goddamn it!

Sorry. Fuck you!

I'm sorry.

I would never hurt you.

You know that.

Come on, I screwed up.

I lost control.

It's not you.

I'm sorry.

Come on, I'd never hurt you guys.

I'd never hurt you.

You know that. I'd do anything for you.

I don't believe you.

I trust you, Derek.