Corner Boys

The Wire 4×8

Sgt. Jay Landsman: Uh, lastly, as most of you are already aware, our CID Commander Raymond Foerster, after a long bout with cancer, passed away last night at Johns Hopkins... Better, uh, eulogies are coming. So, let me just say that the man served 39 years attaining the rank of colonel without leaving a trail of bitterness or betrayal. In this department, that's not a career, it's a miracle.

Howard 'Bunny' Colvin: You feel like winners?
Tuts: Always.
Namond Brice: That's how we did.
Howard 'Bunny' Colvin: Who's we?
Tuts: Us.
Howard 'Bunny' Colvin: No, who are you?
Namond Brice: Players.

Howard 'Bunny' Colvin: Kingpins?
Namond Brice: Nah, that comes later. Right now, we just corner boys.

Michael Lee: You know, the thing with the teachers and cops, they always come at you like they got you by the ass. But keep your mouth shut, ain't nothing they could do. So, more times than not, they go away. Word on that.

Mayor-Elect Thomas 'Tommy' Carcetti: So what's the problem?
Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls: Problem is I do what I'm told.
Mayor-Elect Thomas 'Tommy' Carcetti: Meaning?
Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls: Mr. Mayor, I'm no more a racist than you are. The thing about affirmative action - I'm just talking policy here, no offense...
Norman Wilson: None taken.
Deputy Commissioner for Operations William A. Rawls: It's a numbers game. And numbers games breed more numbers games. You need a 20% hike in black officers to match the city demographic. But that's got to be reflected up the chain, which means fast-tracking some people past where their... How do I say this? Their experience warrants. And he who owes his good fortune to the numbers, abides in them. Gotta show arrests are up 15, 20%? We'll worry about the quality later. So what you saw out there, it's a con game, a Band-Aid on cancer, so no, I'm not with this, but I do follow orders. However, if those orders were to change or if I had the opportunity to change them myself...

De'Londa Brice: What's this shit doing in my house?
Namond Brice: I'm stretching bottles, Ma.
De'Londa Brice: Your daddy bring his work home? That's what you got a lieutenant for! ... This has got to be packed up and elsewhere right now.

Namond Brice: We do the same as y'all, except when we do it, it's like, "These kids is animals." Like it's the end of the world coming. Man, that's bullshit, all right?
Tuts: Cos it's like, what is it? Hypocrite... hypocritical?
Zenobia Dawson: We got our thing but it's just part of the big thing.

Ms. Duquette: You don't teach math, you teach the test. This is about the leave-no-child-behind stuff getting spoon-fed.
Roland 'Prez' Pryzbylewski: And what do they learn?
Grace Sampson: Find some middle ground. Every day try to do a little for the statewide and keep a problem on the blackboard for Donnelly. If she comes to visit, she thinks you're on point. The rest of the time, do what you feel like you need to do. But be careful. You're still on your evaluation.
Ms. Duquette: The first year isn't about the kids, it's about you surviving.

Maj. Cedric Daniels: Will the mayor make the changes or leave it to the good soldier?... What I'm really asking is - how for real are you?
Mayor-Elect Thomas 'Tommy' Carcetti: Well, I guess we're going to find that out together, aren't we... Colonel Daniels?

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