Doris Vinyard I'm ashamed that you came out of my body.
Tied for 3rd most-quoted character in American History X (1998): in 4 of its 38 quotes
Most scenes with: Derek Vinyard (2)
Scenes with Doris Vinyard
4 scenes Doris Vinyard 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?
Reporter
Earlier today, L.A. County firefighter Dennis Vinyard was shot and killed battling a blaze at a suspected Compton drug den. We're at the Vinyard home now, and Lieutenant Vinyard's oldest son Derek has agreed to talk with us for a moment. Derek, if you could come down here, please, for a second. Look, I know this is tough, but how do you feel right now?
Derek Vineyard
(younger, wearing a Venice Beach High Basketball jersey)
How do you think I feel? I think it's typical.
Reporter
Typical how?
Well, this country's becoming a haven for criminals, so what do you expect? Decent hard-working Americans like my dad are getting rubbed out by social parasites.
Reporter
Parasites?
Blacks, browns, yellow, whatever.
Reporter
I don't understand. You think maybe your father's murder was race-related?
Yeah, it's race-related! Every problem in this country is race-related! Not just crime...it's immigration, AIDS, welfare! Those are problems of the black community, the Hispanic community, the Asian community! They're not white problems!
Reporter
Aren't those really issues that deal more with poverty?
No! They're not products of their environments! That's crap! Minorities don't give two shits about this country! They come here to exploit it, not to embrace it!
Reporter
What does this have to do with the--
Millions of white Europeans came here and flourished within a generation! What the **** is the matter with these people? They have to go around...shooting at firemen!
Reporter
What does this have to do with the murder of your father?
Because my father was murdered doing his job!! Putting out a fire in a **** **** neighborhood he shouldn't have given a shit about! He got shot by a **** drug dealer who probably still collects a welfare check!
Doris Vinyard (approaching Derek)
Honey, that's enough.
Dennis Vinyard
So what is this "Native Son" ?
It's this book about this black guy. We're doing this whole black literature unit.
Dennis Vinyard
What, is it Black History Month?
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.
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...
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.
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?
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.
Yeah...yeah, maybe.
Dennis Vinyard
No. It's **** bullshit. You see that, don't you?
Yeah.
Dennis Vinyard
You got to watch out for that.
Yeah. No, I get what you're saying. I will.
Dennis Vinyard
(pats Derek on the back)
Good boy. I'm proud of you.
