Soldiers share a story, but only one gets TV movie

The Boston Globe/ Knight Ridder ^ | 11/9/2003 | William Douglas

[Radix]

WASHINGTON -- Tonight, NBC will air its made-for-TV movie celebrating Private First Class Jessica Lynch, whose dramatic rescue after her capture is one of the feel-good stories of the US war in Iraq.

But some African-Americans don't feel so good about Lynch's story. Instead, they ask: What about Shoshana Johnson?

[Radix]

Donna Brazile has an objection to double standadrs, yeah, right.

[Radix]

Ping!

I thought that you might be interested in this article.

[Jeff Chandler]

I'm going to get flamed for this, but what's so special about Lynch?

I remember seeing a video of a battle under a bridge where a wounded Marine(?) kept firing his weapon at the enemy as he was being carried away on a stretcher. I'm sure there were plenty of scenes like that, yet they're making a movie about a woman who crashed her vehicle.

[John H K]

Cute and blonde. There's your answer. (And the answer to the Elizabeth Smart thing, too.)

Race isn't really the thing; if Shoshana was a somewhat unattractive portly brunette white woman instead of a somewhat unattractive portly black woman, she woudn't have gotten any more attention than she did.

[WackyKat]

I demand equal treatment for white players in the NBA!

[John H K]

Laci Peterson wasn't blonde, of course, but was so incredibly cute she overcame the lack of blonde hair.

If she WAS blonde, I suspect the media frenzy over her would be even BIGGER than it has been, as impossible as that is to conceive.

[kimosabe31]

Blacks seem to have "selective" outrage where double standards are concerned. The real outrage should be directed against a weak kneed government and military hierarch that even sends its young women and/or women of any age into military combat. Lynch and Johnson are no more than kids and females to boot. No differant than the Soviets and nazi germany sending 11-13 year old boys into combat. The f%#king NOW is trying to transform the US into another soviet union. Nut I guess we already knew that.

[cyborg]

People really do underestimate the image obsessed media don't they?? I can't blame those black callers for making accusations of racism, but racism charge is baseless, and they're not thinking deeper. Lynch was 'in the right place,right time' to be the poster girl for GI Jane super hero. As far as I see, that's a title she shuns herself.

[VOA]

Patrick Miller, the mechanic who was decorated for his courage in this incident,
will be profiled tonight (11-9-03) on CBS's Sixty Minutes.

[Dustbunny]

Ditto to that!

[Dustbunny]

Exactly !!

[Lance Romance]

Blacks complaining? That's certainly out of character. <../sarcasm>

They only think about what they don't have, not what they do have. Shoshana should be grateful she wasn't raped and killed.

[VOA]

Final reminder-bump:
Miller will be profiled tonight (11-9-03) on CBS's Sixty Minutes...

[Dustbunny]

Women have the NOW (Nags) gang to thank for having to fight in combat like men, for having to leave their children and/or husbands in order to perform the military orders they promised to follow when they enlisted. It is their choice to walk this path, I feel no sorrow for them.

[joesnuffy]

Another version over at Military Corruption Dot Com and Sgt. Donald Walters is the real hero...

[joesnuffy]

Not NOW but DACOWITS....even more soviet/nazi'esque imo

[mj1234]

I agree - but my wife thinks it is a double standard...

If typical americans could remmeber:

1 Jessica was the ONLY GI freed on that commando operation

2 the army built her up (wounded in battle ,firing her weapon)

3 before the others were released (3 weeks later) the media
was already starting their movie script.

4 the others were left by their captors, all were able to
limp onto a helicopter. (even though Shoshonna was wounded
in both legs)

5 It took months to get the official inquiry into the open

6 - The BOOK deal and the MOVIE deal were already signed!

[BobbyK]

Race isn't really the thing; if Shoshana was a somewhat unattractive portly brunette white woman instead of a somewhat unattractive portly black woman, she woudn't have gotten any more attention than she did

BAM, you hit it head on, LOOKS,ie size, and attractiveness is all it is.
Turn the tables, looks wins out again.