Do You Ever Feel Like An Outsider?

The Outsider is a 1961 film based on the life of Ira Hayes, a Native American who became a war hero as a result of the fortuitous circumstance of being in the famous photograph of the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima.  More than 40,000 Native Americans served in the armed forces during World War II.  For many, it was a unique opportunity to break free from poverty-level life on a reservation and transition to improved post-war employment and education opportunities.  For Ira Hayes, the post-war transition was not triumphant.  Was the regrettable outcome engendered by the fact that his country used him as both a combatant and economic resource during wartime and, after the war, failed to recognize his needs and provide appropriate services?  Or, was it something else entirely?  That is a question for you to decide.  A really good film is one that gives you an honest view of the world, and compels you to reflect upon how our lives are impacted by the circumstances of nature, nurture, and statecraft.  This is an AMERICAN story, and a good one.
John Greanias  Copyright 2013