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X-Clan Member Encourages All to Boycott 9-11 Movie

Writer: goldenstateservicesj
goldenstateservicesj
Aug 16, 2006
5 min read

BOYCOTT THIS MOVIE!!! EMAIL THIS TO YOUR ENTIRE LIST:It’s so natural for hollywood to assume that every Hero is a White man.

by DJ Paradise Gray

original movie-August 16 2006

Hollywood has always changed facts and edited history. From Charlton Heston as Moses and Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra. They are only continuing their tradition of White-washing our history. If they were able to portray Imhotep (The Mummy and The Mummy Returns who was one of the greatest black Heroes of all times and Jesus Christ as white without a single peep from our community, why should this even matter to them in the least?

Situations like this will continue and we as Black people (or whatever you want to consider yourself) will deserve what we get, unless we are willing to stand up against tyranny and white supremacy.

Demand that this movie be taken out of theatures. Boycott this movie like they attempted to boycott “Barbershop” show some community outrage like they did for the poster of 50’s Get Rich Or Die trying. Cause the national media to pick up this story.

Do something for a change. (Yes I’m talking to you!).

Paradise Gray http://www.myspace.com/paradisegray (Please forward to everyone on your email list, as the national press has not or will not pick up this story)

‘World Trade Center’ omits Black Soldier

Following disasters of historically epic proportions like the attack on the World Trade Center, there are bound to be countless tales of self-sacrifice, heroism and triumph. Some stories, like those told in the movies Flight 93 and Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center, premiering Aug. 9, are made into blockbusters for the world to see. Others are either whispered quietly among family and friends or confined to the memories and souls of those who refuse to speak of them.

Such is the tale of United States Marine Corps Sgt. Jason L. Thomas–in spite of the fact that his story and the one told in World Trade Center are one in the same.

THE STORY

The morning of Sept. 11, 2001 began like any other for Jason L. Thomas. A student at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of City University of New York, he heard about the attack after taking his daughter to his mother’s house in Queens so he could attend classes.

At the time I was saying to myself, That’s an attack. My mother looked at it as if it was an accident, but one of the first things that came to my mind was, They got us, he said.

Immediately after that, I just got in high gear. I had my uniform in my car, my C-Bag. We just moved into a house, so I had a lot of my personal equipment in my vehicle. I ran out to my car, got my uniform, got dressed and shot to the city.

After a delay in Queens, which Thomas credits for keeping him away from the collapse of the South Tower, he attached himself to a police convoy and made it to the site within moments of the fall of the North Tower.

Approaching one of the towers, all I see is one at the time, I see the building come crashing down. It just comes straight down. I park my vehicle and I remember this cloud of smoke and ash just enveloped where I was. I stuck my head down in my shirt and scooted behind my car and got on my knees, but it engulfed the area. So I got up and I just ran in the direction towards Ground Zero.

At Ground Zero, Thomas immediately began to help by fighting fires, establishing triage sites to help the injured and assisting with the overall evacuation. While his primary focus was devoted to the emergency, he couldn’t help being affected by what had become of his city.

I know this beautiful city, and now here it is, it’s just rubble,  he said. There are fire engines on fire, and you don’t see that everyday–you don’t see cars and ambulances on fire. I was just trying to take it in.

After hours of firefighting, assisting survivors and in some cases, praying over the dead, Thomas ran into another marine, Staff Sgt. Dave Karnes. Thomas presented a plan for a search and rescue mission of the area and he and Karnes tried to enlist other soldiers on site to help. When they were told the mission was too dangerous, they decided to go by themselves.

I found a couple guys, but it wasn’t enough, to them, to start a search and rescue, he said. I remember myself and staff Sgt. Karnes saying, We’re going to start the search and rescue with or without you, because someone needs us.

THE MOVIE

The World Trade Center movie tells the story of the rescues of New York Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno from Ground Zero, as well as that of the men who rescued them. In real life, the officers were rescued by sergeants Karnes and Thomas. In the film, however, they were rescued by Karnes and PFC Dave Thomas; a composite character, played by William Mapother, a white actor, who is meant to represent Thomas.

World Trade Center producer Michael Shamberg said that they knew about Sgt. Thomas’s role in the rescue, but were unable to find him when creating the film. He said producers didn’t discover Thomas was a Black man until after they had started the movie. He also said that in spite of the fact that the film was co-written by McLoughlin and Jimeno was consulted for authenticity, no one ever asked them for a physical description of the man who helped save their lives.

Frankly, we goofed–we learned when we were filming that he was an African-American, said Shamberg.  We would change it if we could. I actually called him and apologized, and he said he didn’t mind. He was very gracious about it.

Shamberg also apologized for another African-American officer, Bruce Reynolds, who was also portrayed as white in the movie.

Thomas, meanwhile, didn’t learn the film was about his story until he saw the unmistakable image of two marines peering into a whole at Ground Zero during a commercial for the movie. He said that while he wasn’t angry about how the film turned out, he does wish it could have been more realistic.

———————————————————————————————– Paradise Gray Honorary Chairman, Pittsburgh LOC National Political Hip-hop Convention Grand Arkitech Of The BlackWatch Movement Minister Of Arts And Sciences Millions More Movement Director Of Almost Home Youth Ministries One Hood Http://www.myspace.com/paradisegray

 
 
 

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