I find this speech quite extraordinary, since it is one of the very few speeches in the West Wing that is amazing without the so convenient background music. Everyone speech sounds epic with an epic music score in the background. But it is a whole different challenge to say something remarkable without that music.
+Kathryn Raymond I guess that we (speaking as someone who, albeit broadly, thinks as the majority of society does) thought we had dealt with it all...until white supremacists appeared again. It's hard not to blame them or to blame police officers' stereotypes or expectations of how people from certain cultures act.
I wish this clip showed his walk out of the church after the speech as the people in the congregation looked at him with so much respect. Could we possibly have such leaders?! We can only hope.
I too wish we had a leader with vision and compassion. A leader that could give America and the world unity and dignity. A real leader. It has been way too long since the world has had someone that wasn't self centered and corrupt to give us hope.
Dont care about compassion, I would pay good money for a principled stance even if it was the most uncompassionate stance. principles cost so worth more
@@JusticeFrogs Forgetting Reagan's politics, the man could deliver a speech. He was a trained actor, he knew how to deliver the words to affect maximum effect on his audience. Obama could do the same, but to a lesser extent and he didn't always seem to be "on" with his speeches. Bill Clinton could inspire with a speech from time to time as well. The other Presidental orator that I can think of that could reach out and connect with his audience (from what I've heard, I'm not that old) was F.D.R. His fireside chats during the depression and into WWII helps pulled the country together.
I agree and believe we would only have to go back to the prior administration....thought that is a huge Grand Canyon leap from the deep, dark divisive place Americans are at now...i still have hope in the collective good,
@MikeJames6 Mr Obama is a racist, always has been. He used his time as President to create the anti-police state we are in now. His comments from the press room about various police shootings, usualy that same day or the next, without all the facts, are clear and concise proof of that. The President should not be commenting on such matters until they are adjudicated. In Mr Obama's case, that did not fit his need to bash police and to label them all racist.
@MikeJames6 Santos spoke his beliefs in public, ran a positive campaign, stuck to his ideals and had intelligence, civility and was an excellent orator. Meanwhile hearing Trump stumble through his narcissism and idiocy with his 5th grade vocabulary is more captivating for you?
@MikeJames6 I think both men performed well, and both men had their short comings. Vinnick's moment was defending his donors, Santos was the no war for oil pledge and defending liberals. Santos was clearly more passionate, but you could see that Vinnick was just more scholarly and experienced. Both men are obviously intelligent. As the show itself later says, it was a tie.
I'm sorry to add this but we don't just need one person to give this speech. Every representative needs to give it. Every human needs to give it - to live it.
The writers channelled MLK Jr’s rhetorical technique with putting this speech together (and admit it by referencing him). It shows how awesome he was at oration.
Jimmy is such a great actor! His passion shows thru brightly! I don't like how the congregation fires up at the end of his speech. Their reaction at the beginning was understated. That same tone should have been maintained.
Watching this after Kenosha, after Minneapolis. It seems this speech will sadly never be irrelevant. And yet, I have some hope, with a presidential candidate who can occasionally sound like this on race, Joe Biden, and a black woman on the ticket. Not saying they’ll fix everything, or I love them. But they have that Compassion, and that notion of things getting better.
Yes.. it's slowly.. and sometimes more of going back than going forward.. But how long do people struggle.. and the biggest question is WHY should.. WHY MUST certain people always have to struggle.. Why must certain people are always expected to be more compassionate.. Why not allowed to fight back... yeah.. I know the answer.. but it still stinks..
Wonderful Writing. But it means nothing but I gave the whole boxed set away. I have the 7th series somewhere but I felt back in the early 2000s as I got the Box Sets all 7 as they came out - it gave me a sense of what could be. Remember the tease in the 1st episode of season 7? Yes. We the viewer did not know who would win. I somehow was on tenterhooks thought all the episodes and was relieved when Santos won. ******SPOILER***** I would have taken Vinnick but hey. No Republicans are acceptable now. Yes Debora Cahn - writer of the following I am told. Santos speakin in a church somewhere. I remember as a young man listening on the radio to Dr. King in 1968. He asked of us compassion and we responded, not necessarily because we felt it but because he convinced us that if we could find compassion, if we could express compassion, that if we could just pretend compassion it would heal us so much more than vengeance could. And he was right: it did but not enough. What we've learned this week is that more compassion is required of us and an even greater effort is required of us. And we are all, I think everyone of us, are tired. [the audience has begun to turn toward the Congressman. We hear some light consent] Aired December 2005 I am told. Shortly before McConnell pretended about the Voting Rights Act.
What have we done to our society I mean look at the comments below and all the different attacks and different tragic senseless killings.... Peace to you all 🙏🙏🙏
Does anyone find it condescending that all they’re looking for here is the stereotypical black head nodding in agreement with the non-black speech/solution?
Its amazing this is as bs as it was back then, having compassion is a nice flowery statement but, if the death was justified, a tragedy or murder then the statement is very unjust and only signals how wonderful he thinks he's being while not having to do anything
Errrr..?? What?? He’s reminding the people listening why we need compassion and to look out for one another, regardless of our differences. You just angry that day?
I thought this speech sucked. Nice buzzwords but not many solutions. And I doubt all those people in the church would just be nodding along while he's basically telling them not to blame the perpetrator of a needless homicide against someone in their community. But this show was all about populist, "feel-good", self-important speeches with unrealistic unanimous mindless reactions from the audience listening.
+SDoesNotKnow. Then, obviously you missed the entire point of the speech. A church is not a place for a political speech. In the context of the story, this was a scheduled appearance before the shooting incident, but in making the appearance the incident would need to be addressed. He did not point fingers, did not assign blame, essentially didn't do anything to inflame a situation nobody had all the facts for. Instead, he asked the congregation to look inside themselves, to find compassion for all parties involved and use that compassion to work together to find a solution to this type of situation. It was the right message - the Christian message, if you will. And, considering the venue and the audience, it was probably the best address that could have been made.
+seamus1956 As is typical with the show, it's a very condescending, naive, and preachy way to tell a very real story that happens to people. I really doubt in real life people would just nod their head in agreement while he's telling people in the whiniest way possible to not be angry or that to get over it in order to feel "compassion". This speech also came after a stupid behind-the-scenes rant he made to his lame personality-less wife about having to deal with the incident.
IT's realistic, this speech didn't sucked. It was the build-up to the speech that sucked. It felt like the writers worked so much on the speech, rather the plot. You are dead wrong.
"It felt like the writers worked so much on the speech, rather the plot." Sounds typical of an Aaron Sorkin show, even though by this time Sorkin had left the series. Anyway, not sure how your post shows I'm "dead wrong" but whatever floats your boat.
@@chrishumphreys4834 Yes - Senator (now retired) Carl Levin. There was a stir in the 90's about a Detroit cop accused of excessive force, because an unarmed suspect he apprehend had a broken leg and claimed the cop broke it. The suspect was a 20 year old black man who was a former football player and track star - the cop was a pudgy, white 45 year old. His defense was that at the start of the pursuit, the guy climbed a 10 foot fence and jumped down - probably how he broke his leg, and the cop put it bluntly - if the guy had not had a broken leg, there was no way in hell he could have caught him. Levin went and heard both sides of the story and publicly supported the cop - the Detroit News and Free Press, and other papers all wrote good stories about him doing that. But before that, a lot of people were out for that cops head - or at least his job. While some never accepted this, most on the left (unlike you people) can accept facts. I was suspicious at first, but when Levin pointed out something as obvious (I didn't know the guy had medaled in track, or that the officer was middle aged and not in good shape before) as the fact that the suspect's story could not be true, because that cop could not possibly have run him down - except that he was already injured, I knew the cop was innocent. What Levin did was not popular - until after he did it.
Obama invited to cop that arrested a college professor who was trying to just get inside his own house (because he was black), along with the prof to the white house to diffuse the situation.
+derik saari No this isn't. Matthew Santos is a fictional democrat who supports universal healthcare, gun control and other democratic positions. Marco Rubio is a real life republican who wishes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, is against gun control and supports various other republican positions. The only similarity between these two men is that they are both Latino.
+Ari Sheps haha this was just a joke about their appearance, I know only one is a hardcore conservative who wants to see rapist victims keep their rapist's baby and to kill gay marriage
I find this speech quite extraordinary, since it is one of the very few speeches in the West Wing that is amazing without the so convenient background music. Everyone speech sounds epic with an epic music score in the background. But it is a whole different challenge to say something remarkable without that music.
That's amazing that you heard that.
But you have to admit, the choir at the end was icing on a cake.
just saw this episode. Struck a sharp tone with me how relevant it is, and how great our need for compassion is.
Funny how this year it is even more so, and how nothing has changed since 5 years ago and since this script was first written.
Too bad this clip ended before they walked out of the church because the hymns at the end really truly make this scene.
Crazy how relevant this is 10 years later
+Kathryn Raymond I guess that we (speaking as someone who, albeit broadly, thinks as the majority of society does) thought we had dealt with it all...until white supremacists appeared again. It's hard not to blame them or to blame police officers' stereotypes or expectations of how people from certain cultures act.
And here 4 years down the line we could say the same things, pretty fucked up
All I'm saying is bitch deserved it in Dexter. XD
@@TheKyle666 Wow that took me a few seconds to get what you were talking about.
@@ScorpiusZA. XDXDXD
I wish this clip showed his walk out of the church after the speech as the people in the congregation looked at him with so much respect. Could we possibly have such leaders?! We can only hope.
I too wish we had a leader with vision and compassion. A leader that could give America and the world unity and dignity. A real leader. It has been way too long since the world has had someone that wasn't self centered and corrupt to give us hope.
Unfortunately the corporations will assassinate a candidate like they did to JFK.
Dont care about compassion, I would pay good money for a principled stance even if it was the most uncompassionate stance. principles cost so worth more
Daddy is coming back!!!
One of the best speeches, fiction or non fiction
This man deserves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
June 2021 he did
Wouldn't it be great if we had a leader who could credibly ask us to "dig deep" to find that compassion? We could sure use one.
@MikeJames6 you mean the guy who kicked off the racist drug war?
@@JusticeFrogs Forgetting Reagan's politics, the man could deliver a speech. He was a trained actor, he knew how to deliver the words to affect maximum effect on his audience. Obama could do the same, but to a lesser extent and he didn't always seem to be "on" with his speeches. Bill Clinton could inspire with a speech from time to time as well. The other Presidental orator that I can think of that could reach out and connect with his audience (from what I've heard, I'm not that old) was F.D.R. His fireside chats during the depression and into WWII helps pulled the country together.
I agree and believe we would only have to go back to the prior administration....thought that is a huge Grand Canyon leap from the deep, dark divisive place Americans are at now...i still have hope in the collective good,
We had one and it didn't do much it actually caused other problems.
@MikeJames6 Mr Obama is a racist, always has been. He used his time as President to create the anti-police state we are in now. His comments from the press room about various police shootings, usualy that same day or the next, without all the facts, are clear and concise proof of that. The President should not be commenting on such matters until they are adjudicated. In Mr Obama's case, that did not fit his need to bash police and to label them all racist.
I wish there were a real Matt Santos and that he was President now.
Yeah. We elected a person who is not boring...stupid and corrupt but hey...integrity is like so boring. Murica.
Same here.. or a Jed...
Pat Doyle I’d vote for him ASAP....no question...no thinking twice or regret!
@MikeJames6 Santos spoke his beliefs in public, ran a positive campaign, stuck to his ideals and had intelligence, civility and was an excellent orator. Meanwhile hearing Trump stumble through his narcissism and idiocy with his 5th grade vocabulary is more captivating for you?
@MikeJames6 I think both men performed well, and both men had their short comings. Vinnick's moment was defending his donors, Santos was the no war for oil pledge and defending liberals. Santos was clearly more passionate, but you could see that Vinnick was just more scholarly and experienced. Both men are obviously intelligent. As the show itself later says, it was a tie.
I'm sorry to add this but we don't just need one person to give this speech. Every representative needs to give it. Every human needs to give it - to live it.
The writers channelled MLK Jr’s rhetorical technique with putting this speech together (and admit it by referencing him). It shows how awesome he was at oration.
Jimmy is such a great actor! His passion shows thru brightly! I don't like how the congregation fires up at the end of his speech. Their reaction at the beginning was understated. That same tone should have been maintained.
Watching this after Kenosha, after Minneapolis.
It seems this speech will sadly never be irrelevant. And yet, I have some hope, with a presidential candidate who can occasionally sound like this on race, Joe Biden, and a black woman on the ticket.
Not saying they’ll fix everything, or I love them. But they have that Compassion, and that notion of things getting better.
Yeah, because the Obama years went really fucking well. Without control of congress (which is likely to stay Republican) nothing will change.
@@Darius_Cyrus Thankfully the Georgia run-offs went Democrat, so here's to hoping some of that change actually comes this time :)
@@CCISolitude It won't. It's the same "garbage in, garbage out" that George Carlin talked about in the 90's.
@@ffryan Probably, but one can hope.
@@CCISolitude keep reelecting the same old politicians doing the same old thing and you expect change?
This is the president we need.
Even more relevant today.
We need The West Wing back.
The walk out scene always mattered the most to me. Annoying that this cut doesn't have it. I guess it's why we pirate, and I buy
not altogether inappropriate with the news of Orlando today
Wish this wasn't so relevant, but with the failure of the election, I feel it's something we're going to need to focus on.
could've been written yesterday
He handled it well
Face a hostile audience, and turn them around
Still want Jimmy Smits to run for president
Yes.. it's slowly.. and sometimes more of going back than going forward.. But how long do people struggle.. and the biggest question is WHY should.. WHY MUST certain people always have to struggle.. Why must certain people are always expected to be more compassionate.. Why not allowed to fight back... yeah.. I know the answer.. but it still stinks..
Wonderful Writing. But it means nothing but I gave the whole boxed set away. I have the 7th series somewhere but I felt back in the early 2000s as I got the Box Sets all 7 as they came out - it gave me a sense of what could be. Remember the tease in the 1st episode of season 7? Yes. We the viewer did not know who would win. I somehow was on tenterhooks thought all the episodes and was relieved when Santos won. ******SPOILER***** I would have taken Vinnick but hey.
No Republicans are acceptable now.
Yes Debora Cahn - writer of the following I am told. Santos speakin in a church somewhere.
I remember as a young man listening on the radio to Dr. King in 1968. He asked of us compassion and we responded, not necessarily because we felt it but because he convinced us that if we could find compassion, if we could express compassion, that if we could just pretend compassion it would heal us so much more than vengeance could. And he was right: it did but not enough. What we've learned this week is that more compassion is required of us and an even greater effort is required of us. And we are all, I think everyone of us, are tired.
[the audience has begun to turn toward the Congressman. We hear some light consent]
Aired December 2005 I am told. Shortly before McConnell pretended about the Voting Rights Act.
From what I gather, Vinnick *was* going to win, but then John Spencer died, so they turned it around and then cancelled the show.
This apples today!
Nice...
#Ican'tbreathe
Yeah.... That's not what that speech was about. Sorry
He was wasted in Dexter S3
What have we done to our society
I mean look at the comments below and all the different attacks and different tragic senseless killings....
Peace to you all 🙏🙏🙏
Does anyone find it condescending that all they’re looking for here is the stereotypical black head nodding in agreement with the non-black speech/solution?
Not really. Stop looking for conflict. -a Poc
Its amazing this is as bs as it was back then, having compassion is a nice flowery statement but, if the death was justified, a tragedy or murder then the statement is very unjust and only signals how wonderful he thinks he's being while not having to do anything
Errrr..?? What?? He’s reminding the people listening why we need compassion and to look out for one another, regardless of our differences.
You just angry that day?
I thought this speech sucked. Nice buzzwords but not many solutions. And I doubt all those people in the church would just be nodding along while he's basically telling them not to blame the perpetrator of a needless homicide against someone in their community. But this show was all about populist, "feel-good", self-important speeches with unrealistic unanimous mindless reactions from the audience listening.
the solution he offered was compassion on all sides
+SDoesNotKnow. Then, obviously you missed the entire point of the speech. A church is not a place for a political speech. In the context of the story, this was a scheduled appearance before the shooting incident, but in making the appearance the incident would need to be addressed. He did not point fingers, did not assign blame, essentially didn't do anything to inflame a situation nobody had all the facts for. Instead, he asked the congregation to look inside themselves, to find compassion for all parties involved and use that compassion to work together to find a solution to this type of situation. It was the right message - the Christian message, if you will. And, considering the venue and the audience, it was probably the best address that could have been made.
+seamus1956 As is typical with the show, it's a very condescending, naive, and preachy way to tell a very real story that happens to people. I really doubt in real life people would just nod their head in agreement while he's telling people in the whiniest way possible to not be angry or that to get over it in order to feel "compassion". This speech also came after a stupid behind-the-scenes rant he made to his lame personality-less wife about having to deal with the incident.
IT's realistic, this speech didn't sucked. It was the build-up to the speech that sucked. It felt like the writers worked so much on the speech, rather the plot. You are dead wrong.
"It felt like the writers worked so much on the speech, rather the plot."
Sounds typical of an Aaron Sorkin show, even though by this time Sorkin had left the series. Anyway, not sure how your post shows I'm "dead wrong" but whatever floats your boat.
The day a democrat says they have compassion for a cop is the day they're finished in politics.
Bullshit.
@@pdoylemi can you give an example of a Democrat who has stood up for police when it wasn't popular but the right thing to and been praised?
@@chrishumphreys4834
Yes - Senator (now retired) Carl Levin. There was a stir in the 90's about a Detroit cop accused of excessive force, because an unarmed suspect he apprehend had a broken leg and claimed the cop broke it. The suspect was a 20 year old black man who was a former football player and track star - the cop was a pudgy, white 45 year old. His defense was that at the start of the pursuit, the guy climbed a 10 foot fence and jumped down - probably how he broke his leg, and the cop put it bluntly - if the guy had not had a broken leg, there was no way in hell he could have caught him.
Levin went and heard both sides of the story and publicly supported the cop - the Detroit News and Free Press, and other papers all wrote good stories about him doing that. But before that, a lot of people were out for that cops head - or at least his job.
While some never accepted this, most on the left (unlike you people) can accept facts. I was suspicious at first, but when Levin pointed out something as obvious (I didn't know the guy had medaled in track, or that the officer was middle aged and not in good shape before) as the fact that the suspect's story could not be true, because that cop could not possibly have run him down - except that he was already injured, I knew the cop was innocent.
What Levin did was not popular - until after he did it.
Obama invited to cop that arrested a college professor who was trying to just get inside his own house (because he was black), along with the prof to the white house to diffuse the situation.
@@JusticeFrogs
Our stories conflict with their narrative - thus, "fake news".
This is marco rubio.
+derik saari No this isn't. Matthew Santos is a fictional democrat who supports universal healthcare, gun control and other democratic positions. Marco Rubio is a real life republican who wishes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, is against gun control and supports various other republican positions. The only similarity between these two men is that they are both Latino.
+Ari Sheps haha this was just a joke about their appearance, I know only one is a hardcore conservative who wants to see rapist victims keep their rapist's baby and to kill gay marriage
Haha my apologies then, mea culpa.
@@ari9638 Correction Santos supported bullet control
This...did not age well.
DADDYS COMIN BACK MAGA 2024!!!