 |
 |
An outrageous article...
[reply]
|
04/29/04 01:32 PM EST
posted by Michi |
|
I've never posted anything before, but I have to share this article with you. It was written by a UMass grad student in the Daily Collegian. I'm gonna have to paste the whole article (sorry) because the site is getting too many hits and can't be viewed. I'm interested in hearing your responses. Here goes nothing...
Pat Tillman is not a hero: He got what was coming to him
By Rene Gonzalez
April 28, 2004
When the death of Pat Tillman occurred, I turned to my friend who was watching the news with me and said, "How much you want to bet they start talking about him as a 'hero' in about two hours?" Of course, my friend did not want to make that bet. He'd lose. In this self-critical incapable nation, nothing but a knee-jerk "He's a hero" response is to be expected.
I've been mystified at the absolute nonsense of being in "awe" of Tillman's "sacrifice" that has been the American response. Mystified, but not surprised. True, it's not everyday that you forgo a $3.6 million contract for joining the military. And, not just the regular army, but the elite Army Rangers. You know he was a real Rambo, who wanted to be in the "real" thick of things. I could tell he was that type of macho guy, from his scowling, beefy face on the CNN pictures. Well, he got his wish. Even Rambo got shot in the third movie, but in real life, you die as a result of being shot. They should call Pat Tillman's army life "Rambo 4: Rambo Attempts to Strike Back at His Former Rambo 3 Taliban Friends, and Gets Killed."
But, does that make him a hero? I guess it's a matter of perspective. For people in the United States, who seem to be unable to admit the stupidity of both the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars, such a trade-off in life standards (if not expectancy) is nothing short of heroic. Obviously, the man must be made of "stronger stuff" to have had decided to "serve" his country rather than take from it. It's the old JFK exhortation to citizen service to the nation, and it seems to strike an emotional chord. So, it's understandable why Americans automatically knee-jerk into hero worship.
However, in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, Tillman would have been called a "pendejo," an idiot. Tillman, in the absurd belief that he was defending or serving his all-powerful country from a seventh-rate, Third World nation devastated by the previous conflicts it had endured, decided to give up a comfortable life to place himself in a combat situation that cost him his life. This was not "Ramon or Tyrone," who joined the military out of financial necessity, or to have a chance at education. This was a "G.I. Joe" guy who got what was coming to him. That was not heroism, it was prophetic idiocy.
Tillman, probably acting out his nationalist-patriotic fantasies forged in years of exposure to Clint Eastwood and Rambo movies, decided to insert himself into a conflict he didn't need to insert himself into. It wasn't like he was defending the East coast from an invasion of a foreign power. THAT would have been heroic and laudable. What he did was make himself useful to a foreign invading army, and he paid for it. It's hard to say I have any sympathy for his death because I don't feel like his "service" was necessary. He wasn't defending me, nor was he defending the Afghani people. He was acting out his macho, patriotic crap and I guess someone with a bigger gun did him in.
Perhaps it's the old, dreamy American thought process that forces them to put sports greats and "larger than life" sacrificial lambs on the pedestal of heroism, no matter what they've done. After all, the American nation has no other role to play but to be the cheerleaders of the home team; a sad role to have to play during conflicts that suffer from severe legitimacy and credibility problems.
Matters are a little clearer for those living outside the American borders. Tillman got himself killed in a country other than his own without having been forced to go over to that country to kill its people. After all, whether we like them or not, the Taliban is more Afghani than we are. Their resistance is more legitimate than our invasion, regardless of the fact that our social values are probably more enlightened than theirs. For that, he shouldn't be hailed as a hero, he should be used as a poster boy for the dangerous consequences of too much "America is #1," frat boy, propaganda bull. It might just make a regular man irrationally drop $3.6 million to go fight in a conflict that was anything but "self-defense." The same could be said of the unusual belief of 50 percent of the American nation that thinks Saddam Hussein was behind Sept. 11. One must indeed stand in awe of the amazing success of the American propaganda machine. It works wonders.
Al-Qaeda won't be defeated in Afghanistan, even if we did kill all their operatives there. Only through careful and logical changing of the underlying conditions that allow for the ideology to foster will Al-Qaeda be defeated. Ask the Israelis if 50 years of blunt force have eradicated the Palestinian resistance. For that reason, Tillman's service, along with that of thousands of American soldiers, has been wrongly utilized. He did die in vain, because in the years to come, we will realize the irrationality of the War on Terror and the American reaction to Sept. 11. The sad part is that we won't realize it before we send more people like Pat Tillman over to their deaths. |
|
[reply]
|
04/29/04 01:36 PM EST
posted by Michi |
|
Although I agree he may have a point, I think this guy is completely insensitive, and quite frankly, a coward. He tries to make an example of a dead man who can't even defend himself. Maybe Pat Tillman wasn't a hero, but he went to fight for something he believed he was called to do.
The author didn't know him personally. He even admits that he saw Tillman's pictures on CNN and from his "scowling, beefy face" he could tell he was "a real Rambo." Well, that's a stereotype if I've ever heard one.
But toward the end of the article, Gonzalez calls Pat Tillman "a regular man." Yeah, he says that Pat "shouldn't be hailed as a hero, he should be used as a poster boy for the dangerous consequences of too much 'American is #1,' frat boy, propaganda bull. It might just make a regular man irrationally drop $3.6 million to go fight in a conflict that was anything but 'self defense.'"
So, now Pat Tillman's a regular guy who was brainwashed by government propaganda? Wait, I thought he was a real Rambo who deserved to die?
I'm confused, Mr. Gonzalez. Get your facts straight and get some class.
You're perfectly entitled to speak out against this war, but have some respect for the dead and don't make false assumptions about a deceased soldier whom you never knew.
It overshadows your argument and makes you sound like a jerk, to put it much too mildly. Maybe you are one, but I don't know you. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and hope that you don't get what's coming to you. |
|
|
|
I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but how could anyone be so cynical that their FIRST reaction to Pat Tillman's death would be "How much you wanna bet they start talking about him as a 'hero' in two hours?"
Rene Gonzalez's column is not simply harsh. It is heartless & a little sad.
According to the article, Pat Tillman is not a hero, he's an idiot. Gonzalez uses two main arguments to support this: a) the war was unnecessary and b) Tillman was offered $3+ million dollars to stay home and no smart person would make the same choice.
One could argue that "the war was unnecessary" if we were talking about Iraq, but Tillman was serving in Afghanistan. I know it's been a few years, Rene, but the Afghan campaign & the Iraq campaign are two very different wars.
The Afghan War was a retaliatory measure aimed at toppling a terrorist regime. Our country was attacked, and our military destroyed the government that supported the terrorists.
Operation Iraqi Freedom, however, is a pre-emptive war, and part of the Bush Doctrine to defeat terrorism. Time will tell whether that Doctrine is effective but one can reasonably disagree with it.
Tillman was not fighting in Iraq but in Afghanistan. Gonzalez concedes that fighting a defensive war against an invasion would be heroic. Our country was not being "invaded" per se, but to most of us, there's no difference between defending yourselves from righteous Jihadists or foreign armies. Serving in Afghanistan was heroic because even though the war was not fought on American soil, it was an act of defense, not an act of agression.
And then there's the assertion that turning down money for a cause is idiotic. It was certainly unnecessary. Tillman could have stayed home with the rest of America's pampered athletes and no one would have criticized him for it -- and that's what makes his sacrifice so inspiring. Being able to take the hard road when so many easy roads lay before you is what sets great men apart from the rest of us.
Michelle hesitated to criticize Mr. Gonzalex because she doesn't know him, but his article allows the reader to make a few deductions:
- He can't conceive of the call of a greater good, so he's either an atheist or has little passion for his religion.
- He feels that anyone who disagrees with his view is "an idiot." So he's either very young or very immature.
- He lived in Puerto Rico but ended up in America. Most immigrants come to America with a dream of a greater life, but since dreams & ideals seem beyond him, the only reason I can think he'd make that trip is to make more money.
Tying these three conclusions together, Rene Gonzalez appears to be a stubborn young man driven by money. Most of us grow out of this phase -- let's hope he does, too. |
|
|
|
I remember reading about Tillman while working at Doceus. I was quite simply awestruck that someone would do something as patriotic, brave, and unselfish as he was doing. When I heard that he had been KIA last week I immediately felt so sad for him, his family, his friends. The first thing that I thought was "Look at what he gave up to do what he really wanted." He hadn't just given up playing a professional sport anymore, he hadn’t just given up millions of dollars anymore, he hadn’t just given up time with his family or friends to defend his country, he HAD just given up his life, but he did it doing something that he believed in so strongly that he was willing to take the risk of leaving everything behind.
It is disgusting that this "journalist", Rene Gonzalez has such a misguided view on the world. The fact that he took the time and effort to write something like he did shows who the true coward is. He has gone above and beyond to make a mockery of himself and the people he represents. The line in his article that reads “This was not "Ramon or Tyrone," who joined the military out of financial necessity, or to have a chance at education.” Shows his bigotry and lack of ability to look beyond stereotypes. The use of the names Ramon and Tyrone show that this student is nothing more than your run of the mill uneducated but over opinionated idiot.
Rene is obviously driven by the almighty dollar and puts that above all other items in his judgment of what a hero is by denouncing Tillman due to his decision not to take money over a personal pride and challenge. The United States and the people of the United States are constantly criticized for being too capitalistic and so materialistic. When this true American Hero, just as the underpaid firefighters, police, and any other military professionals, chose to take less than he could in order to serve his country, protect his land, and avenge something that he felt so strongly about (as well as prove to himself that he was worth of the ranger title) he is posthumously degraded by a person who is weaker, less intelligent, and much more selfish that himself.
Perhaps Rene decided to write this article for the shock value, but Rene, I hope this allows you to wake up and see how little you matter. The only reason people are paying attention to you is the same reason people pay attention to the likes of Osama Bin Laden or Timothy McVeigh. You have used a vehicle to disgust thousands and perhaps millions of people. Not all publicity is good publicity, and I hope this publicity does its job to ruin the next several years of your life. May this article hang over you like a black cloud and mar your academic and professional records.
|
|
|
|
| As outrageous as Rene's article was, apparently Andy Rooney did a piece 3 weeks ago on how the soldiers in Iraq are not heroes. Ollie North wants him to shut the hell up. |
|
|
|
| Rene Gonzalez has issued an apology.... |
|
|
|
Not much of an apology.
And not much of a foreign policy either.
Mr. Gonzalez really needs to read up more on Afghanistan. Afghanistan's current condition is a direct result of being one of the fronts of the cold war, and one where "we" "won". Their reward for that shouldn't be abandonment, but it almost was. Their reward should be for us, their ally, to stand by them and help them rebuild. And it shouldn't have taken 9/11 to get us there, but it did.
Any-which-way, he, and everyone else who has died trying to bring civilization back to Afghanistan, is a hero, whether or not they gave up millions of dollars, or no money at all.
And Mr. Gonzalez clearly can't understand that.
Apparently he believes that we only should concern ourselves with countries that could bully us around, and everyone else can live in squalor and rot. Personally I think it is commendable that we are in Afghanistan for the long haul, they've suffered enough for the ends of our means already, we might as well do the right thing now.
And of course, that goes for Iraq as well. After all who made that mess? |
|
[reply]
|
05/06/04 08:59 AM EST
posted by Crabtree email |
|
I'm shocked that this person could talk about somebody who gave their life to serve the country. It's ok to protest the war but it is not ok to degrade the men and women all over the world that protect our freedoms. Maybe Gonzalez should go back and hide in his "neighborhood in Puerto Rico" if he doesn't appreciate the sacrifices that people in the armed forces have made for years.
I don't know you so I won't stereotype you like you did to Pat Tillman. It says your a graduate student at UMASS but you're article shows you have no education or class whatsoever. People like you are a disgrace to any society. Honor, courage, and bravery are just words to people like you. To people like Pat Tillman, Honor, Courage, and Bravery is how they live their lives. |
|
[reply]
|
09/20/04 03:33 AM EST
posted by |
|
|
|
[reply]
|
09/20/04 03:34 AM EST
posted by |
|
| fddsf |
|
|
|
| Moron |
|
[reply]
|
11/26/04 08:49 PM EST
posted by steve |
|
| It is totally absurd that someone would make a comment like that about a true American hero. This just shows you that there are too many people in the world that does't know what the hell is actually going on. Wake the hell up!! What the hell do you think took place on September 11, 2001. We were attacked and now after OEF and OIF wars we still have people with their heads up their asses. Come on people |
|
[reply]
|
03/18/05 12:39 AM EST
posted by lol |
|
This guy is right this idiot is no hero. No one becomes a hero by
killing other people. He just got his brain washed by uncle George and
now he is dead for nothing.
|
|
|
|
| Uncle George? |
|
Note: Only registered ShinyDonkey.com users
can post images. Only administrators can delete images.
|
|
|