Scenes To Consider for SLI: From the Movie "Crash"

From the "What Kind of Leadership Is This?" Department:

The recent academy award winning movie Crash had one very interesting scene I would call to everyone's attention, involving an interaction between a line level troop, Officer Thomas Hansen (white), and his superior, Lieutenant Dixon (black). The background is that Officer Hansen has determined his partner, Officer Ryan (Ethan Hawke), is a racist. From the Crash script:

Hansen: I don't wanna cause any problems, Lieutenant. I just want a new partner.

Dixon: I understand. Your partner's a racist prick. But you don't wanna stir up any bad feelings with him. He's been on the force for a long time. Seventeen years.

Hansen: And I do have to work here, sir.

Dixon: So you don't mind that there's a racist prick on the force. You just don't want him to ride in your car.

Hansen: If you need me to go on record about this, sir, I will.

Dixon: That'd be great. Write a full report. Because I'm anxious to understand how an obvious bigot could've gone undetected in this department for years. Eleven of which he was under my personal supervision. Which doesn't speak very highly of my managerial skills. But that's not your concern. I can't wait to read it.

Hansen: What if I said I wanted a new partner for personal reasons?

Dixon: So now you're saying he's not a racist prick, you just don't like him?

Hansen: Yes, sir.

Dixon: That's not a good enough reason.

Hansen: Then I guess I should think of a better one and get back to you.

Dixon: So you think I'm asking you to make one up?

Hansen: Uh, no, sir. I just can't think of one . . . right now.

Dixon: You wanna know what I heard? I heard it was a case of uncontrollable flatulence.

Hansen: You want me to say he has flatulence?

Dixon: Not him. You. You have uncontrollable flatulence. You're too embarrassed to ride with anybody else so you're requesting a one-man car.

Hansen: I'm not . . . comfortable with that, Lieutenant.

Dixon: I wouldn't be either. Which is why I understand your need for privacy. Just like I'm sure you understand how hard a black man has to work to get to, say, where I am, in a racist fucking organization like the LAPD and how easily that can be taken away. Now, that being said, it's your decision. You can put your career and mine on the line in pursuit of a just cause, or you can admit to having an embarrassing problem of a personal nature.

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Absent the entire LAPD movie paradigm, it would appear there might be some talking points to be acquired, regarding leadership, from this portion of the film -- including, of course, the decision made by the officer.

I posit: might that scene from Crash be worthy of inclusion in this or future SLI classes?