Friday movie quote: "Good answer. I like the way you think."

From "Back to School" (1986)

Caution: Contains profanity and ethnic slurs.

Prof. Turgeson: Welcome to Contemporary American history. I'm Professor Turgeson. I know a lot of people think history is just facts, just information about the past, but not me. I hold history very sacred. Sacred. The way a farmer looks at the Earth and holds it sacred. The way a Christian takes the Bible and he holds it sacred. The way a lot of people hold their marriage sacred. That's how I feel about it.

So why don't we dive right in by interpreting  one of the easiest events in the last twenty years of American history. Now, can someone tell me why, in 1975 we pulled  our troops out of Vietnam?

Eager Student: The failure of Vietnamization to win popular support caused an ongoing erosion of confidence in the various American-backed but illegal Saigon regimes.

Prof. Turgeson: Is she right? 'Cause I know that's the popular version of what went on there. I know a lot of people like to believe that. I wish I could, but I was there. I wasn't here in a classroom hoping I was right, thinking about it. I was up to my knees  in rice paddies with guns that didn't work,  going up against Charlie slugging it out with him, while pussies like you  were back here partyin', puttin' headbands on doin' drugs, listening to their goddamn Beatle albums!

Thornton Melon: Hey, Professor, take it easy, will ya? These kids were in grade school at the time. And me I'm not a fighter, I'm a lover.

Prof. Turgeson: Well, I didn't know you wanted to get involved  with the discussion, Mr. Helper. But since you want to help, maybe you can help me, OK? You remember that thing we had about thirty years ago called the Korean conflict?

Thornton Melon:Yeah.

Prof. Turgeson: Where we failed to achieve victory. How come we didn't cross the38th parallel and push those rice-eaters back to the Great Wall of China and take it apart brick by brick and nuke them back into the fuckin' stone age forever? How come? Tell me? Why? Say it! Say it!

Thornton Melon: All right, I'll say it. 'Cause Truman was too much of a pussy wimp to let MacArthur go in and blow the shit out those commie bastards!

Prof. Turgeson: Good answer. Good answer. I like the way you think. I'm gonna be watching you.

Thornton Melon: Good teacher. He really seems to care. About what, I have no idea.