Whoweareiswhowewere

我不是一个泪点高的人。看这部片子，我哭了两次。第一次，是在法庭上，一个黑人站了起来，断断续续地说，被阻止了以后继续说，quot;Giveusfree...Giveusfree!quot;第二次，是在SupremeCourt上，JohnQuincyAdams为Cinque辩护。我重看了那一段，现在摘录下来：YourHonors,Iderivemuchconsolationfromthefactthatmycolleague,Mr.Baldwin,here,hasarguedthecaseinsoableandsocompleteamannerastoleavemescarcelyanythingtosay.However,whyarewehere?Howisitthatasimple,plainpropertyissueshouldnowfinditselfsoennobledastobearguedbeforetheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica?Imean,dowefearthelowercourts,whichfoundforuseasily,somehowmissedthetruth?Isthatit?Orisit,rather,ourgreatandconsumingfearofcivilwarthathasallowedustoheapsymbolismuponasimplecasethatneveraskedforitandnowwouldhaveusdisregardtruth,evenasitstandsbeforeus,tallandproudasamountain?Thetruth,intruth,hasbeendrivenfromthiscaselikeaslave,floggedfromcourttocourt,wretchedanddestitute.Andnotbyanygreatlegalacumenonthepartoftheopposition,Imightadd,butthroughthelong,powerfularmoftheExecutiveOffice.Yea,thisisnomerepropertycase,gentlemen.Iputittoyouthus:Thisisthemostimportantcaseevertocomebeforethiscourt.Becausewhatit,infact,concernsistheverynatureofman.ThesearetranscriptionsofletterswrittenbetweenourSecretaryofState,JohnForsyth,andtheQueenofSpain,IsabellatheSecond.Now,Iaskthatyouaccepttheirperusalaspartofyourdeliberations.Thankyou,sir.[tocourtofficer]Iwouldnottouchonthemnowexcepttonoticeacuriousphrasewhichismuchrepeated.Thequeenagainandagainreferstoourincompetentcourts.Nowwhat,Iwonder,wouldbemoretoherliking?Huh?AcourtthatfindsagainsttheAfricans?Well,Ithinknot.Andhereisthefinepointofit:Whathermajestywantsisacourtthatbehavesjustlikehercourts,thecourtsthiselevenyear-oldchildplayswithinhermagicalkingdomcalledSpain,acourtthatwilldowhatitistold,acourtthatcanbetoyedwithlikeadoll,acourt--asithappens--ofwhichourownPresident,MartinVanBuren,wouldbemostproud.Thankyou.[takesdocumentfromBaldwin]ThisisapublicationoftheOfficeofthePresident.ItscalledtheExecutiveReview,andImsureyouallreadit.AtleastImsurethePresidenthopesyouallreadit.Thisisarecentissue,andtheresanarticleinherewrittenbyaquot;keenmindoftheSouth,quot;whoismyformerVicePresident,JohnCalhoun,perhaps--Coulditbe?--whoassertsthat:quot;Therehasneverexistedacivilizedsocietyinwhichonesegmentdidnotthriveuponthelaborofanother.Asfarbackasonechoosestolook--toancienttimes,tobiblicaltimes--historybearsthisout.InEden,whereonlytwowerecreated,eventhereonewaspronouncedsubordinatetotheother.Slaveryhasalwaysbeenwithusandisneithersinfulnorimmoral.Rather,aswarandantagonismarethenaturalstatesofman,so,too,slavery,asnaturalasitisinevitable.quot;Now,gentlemen,ImustsayIdifferwiththekeenmindsoftheSouth,andwithourpresident,whoapparentlysharestheirviews,offeringthatthenaturalstateofmankindisinstead--andIknowthisisacontroversialidea--isfreedom.Isfreedom.Andtheproofisthelengthtowhichaman,woman,orchildwillgotoregainit,oncetaken.Hewillbreakloosehischains,Hewilldecimatehisenemies.Hewilltryandtryandtryagainstallodds,againstallprejudices,togethome.Cinque,wouldyoustandup,ifyouwould,soeveryonecanseeyou.Thismanisblack.Wecanallseethat.Butcanwealsoseeaseasilythatwhichisequallytrue--thatheistheonlytrueherointhisroom.Now,ifhewerewhite,hewouldntbestandingbeforethiscourtfightingforhislife.IfhewerewhiteandhisenslaverswereBritish,hewouldntbeabletostand,soheavytheweightofthemedalsandhonorswewouldbestowuponhim.Songswouldbewrittenabouthim.Thegreatauthorsofourtimeswouldfillbooksabouthim.Hisstorywouldbetoldandretoldinourclassrooms.Ourchildren,becausewewouldmakesureofit,wouldknowhisnameaswellastheyknowPatrickHenrys.Yet,iftheSouthisright,whatarewetodowiththatembarrassing,annoyingdocument,quot;TheDeclarationofIndependence?quot;Whatofitsconceits?quot;Allmen...createdequal,quot;quot;inalienablerights,quot;quot;life,quot;quot;liberty,quot;andsoonandsoforth?Whatoneartharewetodowiththis?Ihaveamodestsuggestion.[tearsupafacsimileoftheDeclaration]TheothernightIwastalkingwithmyfriend,Cinque.Hewasoveratmyplace,andwewereoutinthegreenhousetogether.AndhewasexplainingtomehowwhenamemberoftheMende--thatshispeople--howwhenamemberoftheMendeencountersasituationwherethereappearsnohopeatall,heinvokeshisancestors.Itsatradition.See,theMendebelievethatifonecansummonthespiritsofonesancestors,thentheyhaveneverleft,andthewisdomandstrengththeyfatheredandinspiredwillcometohisaid.JamesMadison,AlexanderHamilton,BenjaminFranklin,ThomasJefferson,GeorgeWashington,JohnAdams:Wevelongresistedaskingyouforguidance.Perhapswehavefearedindoingsowemightacknowledgethatourindividualitywhichweso,sorevereisnotentirelyourown.Perhapswevefearedanappealtoyoumightbetakenforweakness.But,wevecometounderstand,finally,thatthisisnotso.Weunderstandnow,wevebeenmadetounderstand,andtoembracetheunderstandingthatwhoweareiswhowewere.Wedesperatelyneedyourstrengthandwisdomtotriumphoverourfears,ourprejudices,our-selves.Giveusthecouragetodowhatisright.Andifitmeanscivilwar,thenletitcome.Andwhenitdoes,mayitbe,finally,thelastbattleoftheAmericanRevolution.ThatsallIhavetosay.JQA走过那一排石膏像，停在JohnAdams的旁边，伸出手摸了一下。然后说出了那段让我眼泪一下子出来的话。长久以来，我们不愿寻求你们的帮助。也许我们是害怕，这么做就是在承认，我们所尊崇所保持的个性并不完全是我们自己的。也许我们是害怕，求助会被当作软弱。但我们终于觉悟，事实并非如此。现在我们明白了，我们一直被指引着去觉悟，去明白，我们的祖先是谁，我们就是谁。突然想到在乌布的时候，Ellen对我说，有一天晚上照镜子，她看到了她祖母的脸。原来她就是她的祖母。quot;Theyareinus.Weareapartofthem.quot;我相信，Goddwellsinus.现在我相信，Ancestorsdwellinus.这是好事，也不是好事。但我必须承认，whoweareiswhowewere.