United States of Leland

Leland:
You want a why. Well, maybe there isn't one. Maybe... Maybe this is just something that happened.

Mrs. Calderon:
You have to believe that life is more than the sum of its parts, kiddo.

TV Reporter:
Why did you do it, Leland?

Leland:
Because of the sadness.

TV Reporter:
What sadness? Whose sadness?

Leland:
Your sadness.

Leland:
And that's when i figured out that tears couldn't make somebody who was dead alive again. There's another thing about tears, they can't make somebody that doesn't love you anymore love you again. It's the same with prayers. I wonder how much of their lives people waste crying and praying to God. If you ask me, the devil makes more sense than God does. I can see why people would want him around. It's good to have somebody to blame for all the bad stuff they do. Maybe God's there because people get scared of all the bad stuff they do. They figure that God and the Devil ae always playing this game of tug-of-war game with them. And they never know which side their gonna wind up on. I guess that tug-of-war idea explains how sometimes, even when people try and do something good, it still turns out bad.

Leland:
Maybe in all of this there's a reason? Maybe in all of this there's a why?

Pearl Madison:
This is bullshit, Elden. This is just red-tape bullshit and you know it.

Elden:
No, Madison, this is about you running your own program. You asked me about this kid, I told you no. Then you, in effect, say: "F*** you, I do whatever I want. Elden Gilmore be damned."

Pearl Madison:
Look, this is about a kid who was so screwed up...

Elden:
No, this is about a book. And you wanna talk about red-tape bullshit? Let's talk about how fast I could have you fired for turning your classroom over to non-certified personnel while you went off to play your '20/20' bit with this kid. Man, I am pulling you from S.H.

Pearl Madison:
Wait a minute...

Elden:
No, after lunch, report to A wing. You're taking over Bellsey's class.

Pearl Madison:
I'm only human.

Leland:
How come people only say that when they've done something wrong?