This episode, like many in this series, views a universal situation that effects everyone in Rome and here we look at integration and busing and how the town is in an uproar over a forced and immediate issue. My granddaughter was almost forced to be bused to another school which was out of the way when she could walk less than 2 blocks to school. I asked my daughter who is an extreme liberal what she thought. She was incensed about it. She is also an extremely excellent and well respected partner in a law firm. I mentioned Brown vs The Board of Education and she said, "I'm all for fairness and equality but NOT WITH MY CHILD!" Her point was that they purchased their home for the explicit reason of being near the school which is the highest rated public school in one of the nicer areas of the city. Also, her little girl is only 6 years of age.It was a matter of common sense and my daughter would have been upset no matter what race any of the other children were. Just to uproot a child and move them because of some bureaucratic mess is senseless.
However, at 72 years of age my mind flashed back to a time in 1956. Some of my friends and I were playing sandlot football once and another time basketball on weekends and some black fellows stopped to watch and asked if they could take a shot at the basket and we said, "go for it!" We ended up playing an integrated game in 1956 in a small town like Rome only this was in Texas and the cops broke the game up as they did later when we attempted to play integrated sandlot football. I lived through those horrible times where the black population lived in what was called East End by nice people. Others called it N*%#$r Town. I wish I'd had the chance to go to an integrated school. Most people in our little town would have fought a war and people would have been killed.
The situation in this episode shows that change is needed and even mandatory but a big change all at once is sometimes not easy. Actually it's never easy.Paul Winfield guest stars as an African American Federal judge who insists on the busing situation. I was sad to watch Winfield because I was reminded how much we should all miss this wonderful artist. He always seemed to put everything into his performances and was just right. Never over the top, never dull but strong yet subtly nuanced. What a great actor and he adds so much to this episode. I don't want to even give an outline. I hate reviews that simply sum up the plot. Watch it for some truly thought provoking situations to which any of us can relate. An excellent episode which is, as usual, both topical and seemingly timeless.
However, at 72 years of age my mind flashed back to a time in 1956. Some of my friends and I were playing sandlot football once and another time basketball on weekends and some black fellows stopped to watch and asked if they could take a shot at the basket and we said, "go for it!" We ended up playing an integrated game in 1956 in a small town like Rome only this was in Texas and the cops broke the game up as they did later when we attempted to play integrated sandlot football. I lived through those horrible times where the black population lived in what was called East End by nice people. Others called it N*%#$r Town. I wish I'd had the chance to go to an integrated school. Most people in our little town would have fought a war and people would have been killed.
The situation in this episode shows that change is needed and even mandatory but a big change all at once is sometimes not easy. Actually it's never easy.Paul Winfield guest stars as an African American Federal judge who insists on the busing situation. I was sad to watch Winfield because I was reminded how much we should all miss this wonderful artist. He always seemed to put everything into his performances and was just right. Never over the top, never dull but strong yet subtly nuanced. What a great actor and he adds so much to this episode. I don't want to even give an outline. I hate reviews that simply sum up the plot. Watch it for some truly thought provoking situations to which any of us can relate. An excellent episode which is, as usual, both topical and seemingly timeless.
