http://tillmanstory.com/site/
I was just reading about this documentary film and the story behind it recently in a news magazine here and I must say this looks like a very interesting film indeed.
I think I’d heard a snippet here and there about Pat’s death when it happened but nothing really after it. After reading about the backround of the whole thing I’m astonished at what a horrible thing the military & the powers that be did here…just another in a long line of murky going ons I guess.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaMAVAqef7I
“When Pat Tillman gave up his professional football career to join the Army Rangers in 2002, he became an instant symbol of patriotic fervor and unflinching duty. But the truth about Pat Tillman is far more complex, and ultimately far more heroic, than the caricature. And when the government tried to turn his death into propaganda, they took on the wrong family. From her home in Northern California, Pat’s mother, Dannie Tillman, led the family’s crusade to reveal the truth beneath the mythology of their son’s life and death. THE TILLMAN STORY resounds with emotion and insight, and goes beyond an indictment of the government to touch on themes as timeless as the notion of heroism itself.”
I remember I was reading 1984 with a class when that story broke. and we were at the part with the ministry of truth where Winston Smith had to rewrite a story to make a “treasoness” man a hero.
I said specifically. “how do we know that stuff doesn’t happen today? How do we know what happened to Pat Tillman is what really happened? How do we know he wasn’t killed by friendly fire…” (had to stop and explain what friendly fire was.) “How great of a recruiting tool would this be for the military to talk about the man who was supposed to be the NFL hero, turn out to be really the ultimate hero on the battlefield?”
low and behold 3 months later (of course during summer break but some of those kids HAD to remember me saying that!) it comes out that not only was he killed by friendly fire but it’s quite possible that it was straight out murder. Ann Coultier (or some other Fox news hack) said upon learning that Tillman was an intellectual and didn’t believe in the war but believed in his country, and was also into Noam Chomsky said something along the lines of “well then he got what he deserved”
Tillman is just one more bullshit tactic of the bush administration, and for all of those that will come on and tow the republican party line “W isn’t even in office anymore LET IT GO!” Well, the Tillman boy still won’t come home and the bullshit that W, specifically, and Rumsfeld and the rest of those draft dodging assholes put that family through isn’t going to hurt them any less because that piece of shit is out of office![pirate]
Late,
grmpysmrf
I Ann Coultier (or some other Fox news hack) said upon learning that Tillman was an intellectual and didn’t believe in the war but believed in his country, and was also into Noam Chomsky said something along the lines of “well then he got what he deserved”
God that’s just fucking horrible. I mean the guy put his life on the line for a cause he believed in…at the begining anyway as he told his Mom on his first leave that he thought the war was a shambles and possibly illegal.
He did read Chomsky among numerous other authors…but you know what…so fucking what…he still went back and died for his country. And for some arsehole to say something like that is pretty damn evil and gutless.
The leaders of Pat Tillman’s country completely and utterly betrayed him and his family after he gave the ultimate sacrifice of his life?