i still want you

Our memories are scattered around me
Like empty beer bottles and ashes
On my living room floor
I didn’t know you still lived
In my head, my memories, my heart
You can’t do anything right by me
I will always find something to pick at
Another character flaw or old mistake
But this doesn’t mean I want you lesst poverty
and despair. Horribly impoverished places are an incubator for the worst kind of crime.

CHARLIE
Which is the same as it is right here.

Everyone turns to look at Charlie.

CHARLIE
Same as it is here. I live in Southeast D.C. If you don’t know the area, think Compton,
or South Central L.A., Detroit, the South Bronx. Dilapidated schools, drugs, guns, and
what else?

BOY 1
Gangs?

CHARLIE
Gangs. Gangs give you a sense of belonging, and usually, an income. But mostly, they
give you a sense of dignity. Men are men, and men’ll seek pride. Everybody here’s got
a badge to wear. “I’m the Deputy Communications Director.” “I made Presidential Classroom.”
“I know the answer. I’m going to Cornell.” You think bangers are walking around with their
heads down, saying, “Oh man, I didn’t make anything out of my life. I’m in a gang.”
No, man! They’re walking around saying, “Man, I’m in a gang. I’m with them.”

A door to the mess is opened and several Secret Service agents walk into the room.
The staff all stand as Bartlet and Abbey casually walk in, escorted by other agents.
They stand next to each other at the front of the room.

STAFF
Good evening, Mr. President.

BARTLET
Hello…

MARJORIE
[whispering] Everyone, stand up.

The students all stand, albeit belatedly.

BARTLET
[to C.J.] What the hell’s going on?

C.J.
Sir, this is a group of high school students from Presidential Classroom.

BARTLET
Ah… Please…

Bartlet nods and gestures to the students to sit back down.

BARTLET
You women seem bright and lovely. The men? Disturbingly dense.

The students laugh quietly.

ABBEY
Ignore him. God knows the rest of us do.

Charlie walks between the tables where the students are seated, toward the front of the room.

BARTLET
Excuse me… [to Charlie] Weren’t you coming down to get me some apples and peanut butter?

CHARLIE
We’re out of apples, sir.

Bartlet nods good-naturedly.

BARTLET
[to students] So, we’re stuck here, huh?

BOY 2
Yes, sir.

BARTLET
Well, I live here.

BOY 2
[laughing] Yes, sir.

BARTLET
[to C.J.] I’m going back to my office. Nice meeting you all.

ABBEY
[to Bartlet] I’m gonna stay here a few minutes.

Bartlet turns to leave as a student asks him a question.

BOY 1
Sir?

BARTLET
[turns around] Yeah?

BOY 1
Do you consider yourself a man of principle?

BARTLET
[gently] I try to be.

BOY 1
Well, don’t you consider…I mean, I know they’re our enemy, but don’t you consider
there’s something noble about being a martyr?

BARTLET
[pauses, considers the question] A martyr would rather suffer death at the hands of
an oppressor than renounce his beliefs. Killing yourself and innocent people to make
a point is sick, twisted, brutal, dumb-ass murder. And let me leave you with this
thought before I go searching for the apples that were rightfully mine: we don’t need
martyrs right now. We need heroes. A hero would die for his country but he’d much
rather live for it… It was good meeting you all.

Bartlet leaves and Charlie follows him out, along with most of the agents.

C.J.
Thank you, Mr. President.

JOSH
Thank you, sir.

CUT TO: INT. OUTSIDE THE DARK OFFICE – NIGHT
Several FBI agents are standing in the hallway outside the meeting room where Ali is
being interrogated. A Secret Service agent is standing next to the door, which is closed.
A second agent approaches and whispers a message to the agent at the door. The first
agent opens the door and enters the DARK OFFICE to confer with Ron. The second agent
stands in the doorway, waiting. Ali glances around nervously as the agent speaks with
Ron. Ali is being questioned by a third agent who is seated on the table across from him.

AGENT
Why were you in Uzbekistan?

ALI
It was my Russia trip. I went there with some friends after graduation.

AGENT
Could you tell me about the Islamic League of Allston?

ALI
It used to be my mosque.

The agent who entered the room speaks quietly with Ron and then leaves. Ron and the
agent who has been questioning ALI confer with the agent who delivered the message.

AGENT MESSENGER
We found him.

RON
Where?

AGENT MESSENGER
Germany.

RON
[to the other agent, who is nodding] I’m fine.

Ron quickly leaves with the agent who delivered the message.

AGENT
Mr. Ali, you’re free to go. Thank you.

ALI
Thank you.

Ali sighs heavily as everyone leaves, except Leo, who sits motionless in his chair
and stares at Ali. Ali gets up to leave and is almost out the door when he stops,
turns and walks back toward Leo.

ALI
You know what, Mr. McGarry? You have the memory of a gypsy moth. When you and the
President and the President’s daughter and about a hundred other people — including me,
by the way — were met with a hail of .44-calibre gunfire in Rosslyn, not only were the
shooters white… they were doing it because one of us wasn’t.

Leo stares blankly ahead and only looks up as Ali leaves. Leo’s expression changes
slightly, a hint of sadness on his face.

CUT TO: INT. THE MESS – NIGHT
Abbey is sitting at the front of the room. Josh is sitting in a chair by the door,
his arms crossed.

STUDENT
How did all this start?

ABBEY
How did what all start?

STUDENT
Well… this…

ABBEY
Sarah… God said to Abraham, “Look toward the heaven and number the stars and so
shall your descendants be.” But Abraham’s wife, Sarah, wasn’t getting any younger,
and God wasn’t coming through on His promise… I was very young when I had my kids.
I was very, very, very, very young. I was barely even born yet when I had my oldest
daughter, Elizabeth.

Josh and the students laugh quietly. Abbey glances over at Josh, who is smiling at her.

ABBEY
Anyway, Sarah was getting older, and she was getting nervous because she didn’t have
any children. So she sent Abraham to the bed of her maid, Hagar, and Abraham and Hagar
had Ishmael. And not long after they did, God kept His promise to Sarah, as He’d always
intended to, and Abraham and Sarah had Isaac. And Sarah said to Abraham, “Cast out this
slave woman with her son, for the son of the slave woman will not be heir with my son
Isaac.” And so it began: the Jews, the sons of Isaac. The Arabs, the sons of Ishmael.
But what most people find important to remember is that, in the end, the two sons came
together to bury their father.

JOSH
I think most people also find it important to remember that the whole thing took place
about 73 million years ago.

ABBEY
Yeah.

DONNA
[walks in] Excuse me, ma’am. We’re clear.

ABBEY
Well, that’s that then. It was good talking with you guys. Hang in there.

Abbey stands up and leaves, along with several agents. Josh sits down in achair near
the front of the room.

JOSH
Well, all right. That’s it then.

STUDENT
Can I ask one more question?

JOSH
Yeah.

STUDENT
Do you favor the death penalty?

JOSH
No.

STUDENT
But you think we should kill these people?

JOSH
You don’t have the choices in a war that you do in a jury room. But I – I – I wish…
wish we didn’t have to. I think death is too simple.

STUDENT
What would do instead?

JOSH
I’d put ’em in a small cell, and make them watch home movies of the birthdays and baptisms
and weddings of every single person they killed, over and over, every day, for the rest
of their lives. [clears his throat] And then they’d get punched in the mouth every night
at bedtime. By a different person, every night. There’d be a long list of volunteers,
but that’s all right. We’ll wait…But listen, don’t worry about all this right now.
We got your covered. Worry about school. Worry about what you’re gonna tell your parents
when you break curfew. You’re gonna meet guys, you’re gonna meet girls… [looks at Billy]
Not so much you, Fred.

The students chuckle weakly.

JOSH
Learn things. Be good to each other. Read the newspapers, go the movies, go to a party.
Read a book. In the meantime, remember pluralism. You want to get these people? I mean,
you really want to reach in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one
idea. Makes ’em absolutely crazy.

The students are all listening very intently.

JOSH
[good-naturedly] Go.

Josh stands up and shakes hands with the students and Marjorie as they file out.

JOSH
See you later. Okay.

MARJORIE
Thank you.

JOSH
Thank you. Thanks a lot. It was fun. Don’t steal anything on the way out. Okay.

STUDENT
Bye-bye.

Billy is one of the last to leave.

JOSH
Billy. [gestures for him to wait] Listen…

Josh waits for the others to leave. Billy looks up at Josh expectantly.

JOSH
Nothing, just…just keep doing what you’re doing.

BILLY
[almost whispering] Okay.

JOSH
Okay. [They shake hands.] See you.

BILLY
Bye.

Billy leaves, carrying his jacket. Josh turns, his hands in his pockets,
and watches Billy leave.

CUT TO: INT. ALI’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Leo walks slowly inside. Ali is working at his desk.

LEO
[solemnly] Good evening.

Ali looks up.

LEO
[stiffly] That’s the price you pay… for having the same physical features as criminals.
That’s what I was gonna say.

ALI
[quietly] No kidding.

LEO
I’m sorry about that. Also about the crack I made about teaching Muslim women how to drive.

Ali looks down, taking this in. Leo, nervously, stiffly, his eyes wandering a bit, searches
for the correct words.

LEO
I think if you talk to people who know me, they’d tell you that… that was unlike me,
you know? We’re obviously all under, um… a greater than usual amount of… you know.
And like you pointed out, with the shooting and everything…

A long silence falls between them. Ali looks up and searches Leo’s face.

LEO
Yeah. [nods slightly] All right. Well, that’s all.

Leo turns slowly and walks out into the hall. Ali turns back to his desk and continues
working. Leo hesitates, then turns around.

LEO
Hey, kid…

Ali turns to look at Leo. The opening notes of “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield
begin.

LEO
[softly] Way to be back at your desk.

They stare at each other for a few moments. Leo turns and leaves. Ali turns slowly back to
his desk.

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down.

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
I think it’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down.

DISSOLVE TO: END TITLES.
FADE TO BLACK.
THE END
* * *

The West Wing and all its characters are a property of Aaron Sorkin, John Wells
Production, Warner Brothers Television, and NBC. No copyright infringement is intended.

Episode 3.00 — “Isaac and Ishmael”
Original Airdate: October 3, 2001, 9:00 PM EST

Transcribed by: The Vault
August 5, 2002