Date: June 14th, 2025 9:57 PM
Author: little man
INT. SOPRANO KITCHEN – MORNING
Tony stands at the counter, eating a bowl of cereal straight out of the box. The news plays low on the TV: footage of protests, cops in riot gear, American flags waving upside down.
A.J. walks in, hoodie on, phone in hand, half-distracted.
TONY
What the hell is this? Every channel—people screamin’, cops gettin’ spit on, flags on the ground like garbage.
A.J. (without looking up)
I’m heading into Newark. There’s a protest at the ICE facility.
TONY
You’re what?
A.J.
We’re showing solidarity. There’s, like, three hundred people going. Clergy, teachers, a bunch of us from school.
TONY (face darkens, throws the cereal box down)
You’re outta your mind. ICE? You mean the people trying to keep this country from turning into a fuckin’ doormat?
A.J.
Dad, they’re locking people up who’ve lived here for years. Families. Kids. Some haven’t even done anything.
TONY
They’re here illegally, A.J.! That means against the law! You ever think about that, or is that not cool enough for your little protest friends?
A.J.
Laws can be unjust. If nobody stands up to ‘em, they don’t change.
TONY (advancing toward him now, voice raised)
Lemme tell you something. This country took in our ancestors with nothing. They worked their asses off. No handouts, no whining. Now it’s just entitlement and TikTok revolutions.
A.J.
We’re not asking for handouts. We're asking for basic rights. Human decency.
TONY
You ain’t asking for shit. You grew up in a goddamn mansion, with steaks in the freezer and HBO on every TV. Now you’re gonna stand there in a Che Guevara T-shirt and act like you're fuckin’ Cesar Chavez?
A.J. (defensive)
It’s not about me! I see something wrong and I wanna help fix it!
TONY
You wanna fix something? Start with your goddamn résumé. Half these people protesting wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire. But go ahead, wave your little sign, scream about “fascism,” see what that gets you when someone throws a brick through your skull.
A.J. (quieter)
I just... I think we owe it to people to do better.
TONY (cold, disgusted)
You owe something, alright. You owe your family. Your country. You walk into that protest, you’re not just some kid anymore. You’re picking a side.
A.J.
Maybe it’s time somebody did.
TONY (stepping close, eyes hard)
Be real careful what you wish for, Anthony. The world’s got teeth.
(beat)
TONY (calmer, but deadly)
And it don’t care if your last name’s Soprano.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5737953&forum_id=2...id.#49016454)