MovieChat Forums > Alamo Bay (1985) Discussion > Racial Blindness??

Racial Blindness??

posted 20 years ago by ConfederateGray
16 replies | jump to latest

Its not so blind when you come back from a messed up war and try and make a life for yourself only to find the same kind of people you risked your life fighting chester on in your town and literally take away your livelyhood.Sure Ed Harris's charactor handled it rather harshly but he was PUSHED to his limit and him being a simple man didn't know any other way to handle it.And as for that frog director who thought he had to show us dumb Americans how wrong we are,Well along with God,Mom and Apple Pie heres another slice of Americana'INSERT MIDDLE FINGER ICON HERE'
'Jim Dandy'Mangrum

[–] Di-Crap-io 19 years ago

That last post was uninformed. Ed Harris's character fought the communist and Viet Cong. The Vietnamese fisherman in the movie fled Vietnam to avoid the communists. They were on the same side. Please get your facts straight.

[–] ConfederateGray 19 years ago

Uninformed slightly see its been a while since i saw the movie.But i am right on the fact that those Vietnamese did take away the jobs the NATIVE residents had when they came over in droves.See its not like Ellis Island back in the late 1800's-early 1900's nowadays any 3rd world foreign people get the red carpet treatment and pick up where they left off nuff said!!!
'Jim Dandy'Mangrum

[–] Di-Crap-io 19 years ago

Uhhhh....red carpet treatment....are you kidding me?!? The Vietnamese had to flee their homeland for fear of the communists regime in the Fall of Saigon in 1975. They had to throw away all their belongings to come to America. Now about the Vietnamese fishermen, they did not "take" away anybody's job. If you believe in fair competition that's what they did. They had nothing to turn to for income and had to work their ass off to support their families...so they ended up taking jobs that were minimum wage...jobs any American would have scoffed at. Perhaps the Vietnamese were guilty for working hard...too hard. Perhaps they adhered too much to the American idealogy that hard work pays off. Certainly their was no red carpet treatment for the Vietnamese...they were poor fisherman working at or below minimum wage just trying to make a living. How is that red carpet treatment?

[–] ConfederateGray 19 years ago

Yes i'm aware of the fall of Saigon and this subject is a very powerful and argumentive one and lets just agree to disagree I stand firm with my opinion as you do yours!!nuff said
'Jim Dandy'Mangrum

[–] Cyberella 18 years ago

I agree. I can see your point.

[–] tryan1972 18 years ago

I don't see any points. This movie is an inaccurate portrayel of events. It is sympathy propaganda. Just more of the same ole. The murder of the fisherman in reality was not based on racism at all. Of course the truth wouldn't sell papers or produce movies. And noone would have anything to debate or would we?
God's Speed

[–] wishingwell57 14 years ago

For five years now, any chance you get on this board, you have to throw in your idea that the true story wasn't told in this movie. Get over it. Show us the contract that guaranteed that the script was going to be an exact blow by blow copy of your family's story? Nada. Thought so. Get over yourself. Forgive and move on. You are only hurting yourself by holding onto all this rage and hatred. Write a book and tell your story but quit trying to badmouth this movie.

[–] cornflowermonroe 17 years ago

this movie is not black and white. yes, the Vietnamese fisherman were out of line by shrimping at night and other unethical business practices, but Ed Harris' character did not react correctly at all. it's not a Dirty Harry movie where the heroes and villains are sketched out in crayons, this is a deeply textured and powerful movie that should cause one to sit back and reflect. just like in real life, there are no easy answers to these questions.

funny that a man who would call himself "Confederate" should preach patriotism. the confederate flag and its admirers are traitors. this is a symbol of sedition and anti-Americanism. i don't care about the "racial" arguments surrounding the confederate rag. if you honor that flag and its ideals, then you are admitting you wish that the south would have won, meaning you do not care to be a part of America. so any pro-American argument you can try to have with anyone is immediately null and void by the fact that you support an anti-American movement.

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i'm a queer and i approve of this message

[–] wishingwell57 14 years ago

Oh, I see, when you don't have a valid argument back then you think that we should just all do what you want and agree to disagree. Troll. You just want to spit out your jealous and prejudice hyperbole that has no place in America. The new Americans back then paid their taxes just like anyone else. As long as they followed the rules, they had the opportunity to make a living like anyone else. You live in a bubble and wish that it was 1850 so you could feel at home.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BadNewsBears 17 years ago

confederate guy,

You are an idiot. Please do society a favor and drink a gallon of bleach and/or jump off of a 10 story building.

[–] bluesy 7 years ago

The confederate thing alone in his username implies he's redneck trash racist KKK loving garbage. AMEN

[–] ragreen259 15 years ago

Wait... are you saying the Vietnamese in Alamo bay were Viet Cong?
I primarily mention this because of the stupidity involved in your comment. The people moving into Alamo Bay weren't the ones the vets had been fighting... matter of fact, they fought side by side, against a common enemy. The vets were trying to SAVE them. And, no one would know that difference better than someone who had been there and done it.

[–] wishingwell57 14 years ago

The soldiers and Americans knew that the South Vietnamese fought with us against the North Vietnamese/China/Soviet Union. The fact that they were allowed to move to the USA was their reward for fighting with us.

Ed Harris' character wasn't simple. He was ignorant, prejudice, didn't know how to handle his finances, was reactive instead of proactive and didn't realize that nothing in life stays the same.

So, instead of flowing he tried to made a damn. The damn burst and he lost.

[–] foster1234 10 years ago

"Allowed to move" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

They were the boat people of the late 70s and 80s. The US Government, and administrations, feeling guilty after the fall of Saigon, GAVE these people citizenship, and low,low,interest government loans to start businesses. These people didn't have to wait for Visas, learn English, or any of the things other legal immigrants of the time had to do

I remember the time well, I (a Yankee) moved to TX in 1980 to work on a nuclear powerplant in Bay City. There was a little fishing village down the coast, Palacious, that became inundated with Viets. First the dogs went, then the cats, place was over run by rats, then they went also. The authorities did nothing to the Viets in regards to fishing laws. Upheld all the laws for the whites,blacks and spics that were in the business, but were told hands off the Viets.

It was a strange, dangerous time.

This movie is a compilation of several incidents that happened up and down the coast of TX

And it's a damn good movie

You don't have to stand tall, but you have to stand up!

[–] monroea3 9 years ago

"Spics"?