The Facts of Life (TV Series)

Read No Evil (1982)

Roger Perry: Charles Parker

Quotes 

• Mr. Parker : You should read some of the letters I've been getting demanding change in curriculum, in text books, in staff! And in the face of all that we should consider ourselves that we only lost four books.

  Edna Garrett : THIS time. What're you going to have to give up next month, Mr. Parker?

• Mr. Parker : You know there are parents here whose names I've only seen on checks? And I've been getting angry phone calls from them all week. They are furious I allowed those books to be removed from the library. I mean Edna, they hate me.

  Edna Garrett : Oh that's wonderful!

• Edna Garrett : Forget my strudel, Mr. Parker, this is serious!

  Mr. Parker : Edna, you're overreacting, now trust me. A few books being removed from the library is hardly cause for panic. Now, what follows vanilla extract?

  Edna Garrett : It was four books, four! And I'm not the only one who's upset. Our librarian has been trained to make book selections and suddenly people without qualifications are overriding her decisions!

  Mr. Parker : Okay, I've got three large apples, one cup of flour.

  Edna Garrett : Mr. Parker something alarming is going on here and you don't seem concerned.

• Mr. Parker : Edna, a decision was made by the Board of Trustees to reevaluate some of our books, and I support that decision.

  Edna Garrett : How can you? I know how you feel about this.

  Mr. Parker : There are other factors involved here.

  Edna Garrett : Such as?

  Mr. Parker : You just don't understand what we're facing.

  Edna Garrett : Well then explain it to me. Explain how books that have been at this library for years suddenly have become offensive!

  Mr. Parker : Alright, picture yourself in a room full of angry people shouting about immoral influences and accusing you of corrupting their children.

  Edna Garrett : How long has that been going on?

  Mr. Parker : Over a year, at first the Board resisted, I resisted. Last month this group threatened to take their children out of Eastland, so we compromised.

  Edna Garrett : You mean you sold out.

  Mr. Parker : That's easy for you to say! What would you do if parents started to pull their children out of school? Would it make any difference what books were in the library if the doors were closed?

  Edna Garrett : That won't happen.

• Edna Garrett : One group of parents.

  Mr. Parker : Yes but those are the parents who attend every board meeting, they call my office, write letters.

  Edna Garrett : Yeah that's right, the wheel that squeaks the loudest always gets the oil.

  Mr. Parker : Come on Edna, you know they've got a point. You've read parts of Vonnegut, Joyce.

  Edna Garrett : Yes, and so have hundreds of other Eastland students. It's a complicated world out there, and what we teach these girls is supposed to help prepare them for it.