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Last Updated: Jun 17th, 2008 - 15:46:17
The Majestic - Communism and the Bill Of Rights
By "The Majestic"
Jul 5, 2007, 11:33 PST
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Movie The Majestic
Characters Pete Appleton (Jim Carrey), Elvin Clyde (Bob Balaban)
In one of Jim Carrey's greatest performances, he addresses The House Committee on Un-American Activities and reminds them that our country is founded on a fundamental Bill of Rights, which they seem to have forgotten about recently.
Excerpt:
Clyde "All right, Mr. Appleton. That was
what you knew then. What do you
know now?"
Pete: "Well, I know that I lost my job
because of one meeting I went to
when I was a kid in college. I
know that I've been branded a
communist, which I'm not, but even
if I was, it shouldn't matter, or
what do we have a Bill Of Rights
for?
"I know that a lot of good, honest,
decent people, people that I
consider my true friends, feel
betrayed by me, not because of who
and what I am, but because of what
you say I am! I know that I...
[...]
"Mr. Chairman... there's... another
Amendment... that I'd like to
invoke at this time, but it's not
the Fifth Amendment. I wonder if
you're familiar with it.
"Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press;
or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a
redress of grievances."
"That's the First Amendment, Mr.
Chairman. It's the backbone of
this nation. It's everything that
gives us the potential to be right
and good and just -- if only we'd
live up to that potential. It's
what gives me the right to sit in
this chair and say my piece before
this committee without fear. It's
the most important part of the
contract that every citizen has
with this country. And even though
this contract...
(he holds up the book)
... the Constitution and the Bill
of Rights -- even though they're
just pieces of paper with
signatures on them -- they're the
only contracts we have that are
most definitely not subject to
renegotiation. Not by you, Mr.
Chairman, not by you, Mr. Clyde,
not by any member of this committee
-- or anyone else -- ever.
"And when you get right down to it,
that's really all I have to say to
this committee. Good morning."
© Copyright 2007 by Classbrain.com
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