Dennis Vinyard: So what is this "Native Son" ?
Derek Vinyard: It's this book about this black guy. We're doing this whole black literature unit.
Dennis Vinyard: What, is it Black History Month?
Derek Vinyard: No, it's just this guy Sweeney, you know? It's part of the course now.
Dennis Vinyard: Yeah...whatever. It's everywhere I look now.
Derek Vinyard: What?
Dennis Vinyard: This "affirmative blaction."
Doris Vinyard: Honey, a few new books doesn't qualify as affirmative black action.
Dennis Vinyard: Read the book, ace the guy's test...just don't swallow everything he feeds you whole. Just because you see it on the evening news...
Derek Vinyard: I know, but what?
Dennis Vinyard: All this stuff about making everything "equal..." it's not that simple. Now you've got this book "Native Son." What happened to the other books in the course? They're not good anymore because Mr. Two Ph.Ds says so? Now you got to trade great books for black books? Does that make sense? You gotta question these things, Der. You gotta look at the whole picture. We're talking about books...but we're also talking about my job. I've got two black guys on my squad now who got their job over a couple of white guys who actually scored higher on the test. Does that make sense? Everything's "equal" now, but I've got two guys watching my back...responsible for my life...who aren't as good. They only got the job because they were black, not because they were the best.
Derek Vinyard: That sucks.
Dennis Vinyard: Yeah, is that what America's about? No, America's about the best man for the job. You do your best, you get the job. This affirmative action crap--I don't know what that's about. There's like some hidden agenda or something going on. You see what I'm saying?
Derek Vinyard: Yeah, I do. I didn't think about it like that...This Sweeney guy though, he just comes on so strong. It's hard not to listen to him. I guess some of what he says though, it's kind of--
Dennis Vinyard: It's bullshit.
Derek Vinyard: Yeah...yeah, maybe.
Dennis Vinyard: No. It's nigger bullshit. You see that, don't you?
Derek Vinyard: Yeah.
Dennis Vinyard: You got to watch out for that.
Derek Vinyard: Yeah. No, I get what you're saying. I will.
Dennis Vinyard: (pats Derek on the back) Good boy. I'm proud of you.

"We are not enemies but friends.
We must not be enemies.
Though passion may have strained
It must not break our bonds of affection.
The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched,
as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature." ~ Abraham Lincoln.

Every night, thousands of these parasites stream across the border like some fucking piƱata exploded. [the skinheads laugh] Don't laugh! There's nothin' funny goin' on here! [the skinheads immediately quiet down] this is about your life and mine, it's about decent hard working Americans falling through the cracks and getting the shaft because their government cares more about the constitutional rights of a bunch of people who arent even citizens of this country, On the Statue of Liberty it says "give me your tired your hungry, your poor..." well it's Americans who are tired and hungry and poor, and I say until you take care of that, close the fucking book! 'Cause we're losing, we're losing our right to pursue our destiny, we're losing our freedom, so that a bunch of fucking foreigners can come in here and exploit our country, and this isn't something thats going on far away, this isn't something thats happening places we cant do anything about it, it's happening right here, right in our neighborhood, right in that building behind you..Archie Miller ran that grocery store since we were kids here..Dave worked there Mike worked there..he went under and now some fuckin Korean owns it who fired these guys and is making a killing cause he hired 40 fuckin border jumpers..i see this shit going on and I dont see anyone doing anything about it...and it fuckin pisses me off!! So look around you,this isn't our fuckin neighborhood this is a battlefield we are on a battlefield tonight..make a decision are we gonna stand by the sidelines quietly standing while our country gets raped? "(the skinheads yell) fuck no!!" are we gonna ante-up and do something about it? "(skinheads yell) FUCK YEAHH!!!!" you're goddamn right we are!!

Doris Vinyard: I'm ashamed that you came out of my body.

Bob Sweeney: There was a moment..like this. when I used to blame everything and everyone... for all the pain and suffering and vile things that happened to me, that I saw happen to my people. Used to blame everybody. Blamed white people, blamed society, blamed God. I didn't get no answers 'cause I was asking the wrong questions. You have to ask the right questions.
Derek Vinyard: Like what?
Bob Sweeney: Has anything you've done made your life better?

Lamont: [in the prison laundry] Don't fuck wit me aight I'm the most dangerous man in this prison. You know why? 'Cause I control the underwear.

Black guy: Yeah, that's that motherfucker - referring to Danny after the bathroom confrontation

Bob Sweeney: [arguing with Danny Vinyard about his "Mein Kampf" paper] I think the street would kill you. Your rhetoric and your propaganda aren't gonna save you out there.

Seth: My eyes have seen the glory of the trampling at the zoo
We have washed ourselves in niggers' blood and all the mongrels too
We're taking down the ZOG machine, Jew by Jew by Jew
The white man marches on! ~ white supremacist lyrics for "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Danny Vinyard: [On Derek's change in prison] I'm sorry, Derek. I'm sorry that happened to you.
Derek Vinyard: I'm not. I'm lucky. I feel lucky because it's wrong, Danny. It's wrong and it was eating me up, it was going to kill me. And I kept asking myself all the time, how did I buy into this shit? It was because I was pissed off, and nothing I ever did ever took that feeling away. I killed two guys, Danny, I killed them. And it didn't make me feel any different. It just got me more lost and I'm tired of being pissed off, Danny. I'm just tired of it.

Cameron: You made the fat kid a little nervous. He thinks the joint messed with your mind.
Derek Vinyard: It did.

Murray: Derek, what are you trying to prove?

Cameron: Alright, This is stupid. I'm done. You go cool off, get laid, do something, get your head on straight. Then I'll talk to you.
Derek Vinyard: Yeah, but it doesn't even really matter if I don't, does it? 'Cause you got the next crop already lined up and ready to go you fuckin' chicken hawk!
Cameron: Excuse me?
Derek Vinyard: You prey on people Cam. You use 'em. I lost three years of my life for your fuckin' phony cause, but I'm onto you now you fuckin' snake.
Cameron: Hey, Derek, watch it, watch it. Be careful, remember where you are this is not some fuckin' country club where you can waltz in and outta here as you choose...
Derek Vinyard: Shut up! Shut the fuck up, I came here, to tell you one thing, I am out,out, and Danny's out too and if you come near my family again, I'll feed you your fucking heart.

Doris Vinyard: You think you're the only one doin' time, Derek? You think you're here all alone? You think I'm not in here with you?

Lamont: Alright I know your kind...bad ass peckerwood with an attitude. Well let me tell you something, you better watch your ass because in the joint, you are the nigger, not me.