What is the true image of a hero?
Filed Under Category: Political & Social Commentary
Imagine that you are sitting in a movie theatre watching one of the most intense scenes in the movie and you realize that it is portraying an account from your life. As you get deeper into the scene, you also realize that the person cast in your role doesn’t even look like you. You realize that in the screenplay you were written out. What would your reaction be? How would you feel if your act of heroism was blatantly overlooked? On 9-11, there were many acts of heroism and many stories remain untold of people that sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others, but one story in particular caught my attention.
The first in depth movie based on the events that occurred on 9-11, “World Trade Center,” was recently released. Part of the movie chronicles the story of Port Authority police officers Will Jimeno and Sgt. John McLoughlin, who were trapped beneath 20 feet of debris when the towers fell. Two Marines rescued these two officers from the debris. While others were running from the building, these Marines were running towards them to see who they could save. Sgt. Jason Thomas and Staff Sgt. David Karnes were those two Marines. As Sgt. Thomas was dropping his daughter off at his mother’s house, she informed him that planes had hit the towers. Sgt. Thomas, a retired Marine, pulled a Marine uniform out of his trunk and headed in his truck towards the towers after hearing the news. The only equipment he had was a flashlight and an infantryman’s shovel. He bumped into Staff Sgt. Karnes at “Ground Zero.”
“Someone needed help. It didn’t matter who,” Thomas said. “I didn’t even have a plan. But I have all this training as a Marine, and all I could think was, ‘My city is in need.’” The two Marines climbed through debris, putting themselves in harm’s way, calling out “Is anyone down there? United States Marines!” The two crawled into a deep pit to find McLoughlin and Jimeno, injured but alive. They proceeded to save the two officers. Sgt. Thomas returned to “Ground Zero” for another two and a half weeks to help out with the rescue efforts and then “disappeared.” He said he walked away from it because he wanted to forget the scenes that he had been a part of. Many had heard of this Marine, but no one knew his identity until he recently came forth amid pressure from his family.
Fast forward to the release of the movie. The scene that portrays the story captures it, according to critics and reporters, “accurately” except for one “small” detail. Why is the actor that portrays Sgt. Thomas white?! When asked about the portrayal, Sgt. Thomas simply responded, “I don’t want to shed any negativity on what they were trying to show.” Thomas is a modest hero that did not seek any recognition for his efforts. He has also kept the most important issue at the forefront–lives were saved. I do feel that it is my American duty, however, to ask the critical questions that he modestly declined to ask.
1. How can you confuse Sgt. Thomas pictured above, a “Chocolate” African American male, for a white man in the movie?
2. Why did the film’s producer Michael Shamberg, even though he realized the mistake after production was begun on the film, not make efforts to give credit to the right man and at least represent him accurately in the media as African American.
3. Why didn’t the other Marine, the two saved officers, and others that aided in telling the story take a second extra to mention to the producers of the film, “and he is black?”
4. Why does Shamberg believe the apology for the “inaccuracy” in the film is enough?
5. Is this really an “inaccuracy,” or is it simply another example of Hollywood and the media having an inability to want to portray African Americans in a positive manner?
Sgt. Thomas, I salute you! I also feel that it is my duty to express what I feel is a complete violation of your act of heroism. African Americans are often accused of playing the “race card,” but it is used because of situations like this. Does it matter that he is African American? What do you think? I believe that even from the simple standpoint of telling the story accurately, it is important to mention every detail. Even if it is not an act of “racism,” it is an act of faulty research. Today I choose to leave my “race card” in the deck and pull out my “accuracy card.” You cannot accurately portray an African American soldier by casting a white actor! You cannot accurately tell the story and display it on thousands of movie venues throughout the country and not have the facts right. Maybe there is no racism in America. Maybe we just live in a country plagued by “inaccuracy.” I’ve had it wrong all these years! Maybe racial profiling should be called “inaccurate driving.” Maybe slavery should be called “inaccurate selling.” Maybe the Civil Rights Movement should be renamed the “inaccuracy movement.” Maybe Affirmative Action should be renamed “Inaccuracy Action.” America, I apologize. For all these years, everything that I “mistook” for racism was just “inaccuracy!”
Finally, finally I can leave a reply! Job well done, Martin. You know, of course, I absolutely adore your writing. I may not always agree with your opinions, (and to do so would simply be mundane) but I always appreciate your thoughts and willingness to open up and share your heart, soul and BRILLIANT mind wholehearted.
I am especially moved by today’s blog, “What is the true image of a hero?” When I first heard this marine’s story, my mouth literally dropped — I mean fell completely open like the character action directions I give in my scripts (scripts — because who does that in real life right? Well, maybe it does happen, but when a person is alone, in bed (a whole other topic, that one is) watching late night news?). An inaccuracy? Whom are they kidding? Of course, they knew he was black!
One of the first things I learned in high school playwriting class is when a script calls for a man, the roll will be cast with a white man. When a script calls for a tall, dark and handsome man, the roll will be cast with a tanned, brunette white man. When a roll calls for a black man, it MAY be cast with a black man or, if the part doesn’t call for stupidity or other black stereotypes, he may STILL BE CAST WITH A WHITE MAN! My point? When a white man enters into a place or space as was the case at ground zero, he is simply described as a “man.” When a black man enters a place or space, he is described as a “black man.” American’s are guilty of this cross-culturally. African Americans do it too! We say, “A white man came in and…” So when the details about Sgt. Thomas were recounted to media and authorities, whom did they say assisted in that daring rescue? “A black man…” How then was there an inaccuracy in the script about this American hero? My guess would be there was no inaccuracy in the script! As a writer, I refuse to believe that the screenwriter failed in capturing every important detail of that moment. In due time, I am going to try to get a copy of the original script and prove that it must surely read – in proper screenwriting format — “SERGEANT JASON THOMAS (30’s, black).”
The inaccuracy came in the casting room by way of the development room. The African American actor’s argument has always been, “It doesn’t matter what color the script calls for, we can play any role.” How convenient was it that FINALLY Hollywood gave in to that notion? It didn’t matter that the script called for a black man, because white men can play any role.
What is the true image of a hero? The American hero? Don’t we all know? Haven’t we seen images of him upon his arrival to the states from Vietnam? Didn’t we see him come home from Desert Storm? Haven’t we seen his proud family and other patriots saluting him in recent years since the “War on Terror†began? In all fairness I suppose some of his relatives could be black but its not those relatives I’ve seen on my television screen. We know the image of an American hero. Hollywood knows it too. That’s why they had to cast a white man in a role that was a black man’s — “SERGEANT JASON THOMAS (30’s, white).” They didn’t want to confuse Americans. Of course an American hero couldn’t be black.