Ic
2009-02-02 03:23:25 UTC
Super Bowl
When the Arizona Cardinals take the field tomorrow, the most famous
Cardinal will not be with them.
I speak, of course, of Corporal Pat Tillman, who left the NFL after
9/11 to serve in the Army Rangers. Tillman was killed by friendly fire
in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. For months after his death, he was
used as a propaganda tool to glorify Bush's failed wars. The exposure
of the truth behind Tillman's death has since turned him into a symbol
of the duplicity of the Bush Administration, the fight for the truth,
and the futility of the war itself.
Shortly after his death, the Bush Administration (already campaigning
for the 04 election) pointed to his sacrifice. Karl Rove waxed, "How
does our country continue to produce men and women like this." On May
1, 2004, Bush again focused on Tillman's sacrifice in a speech at the
White House Correspondent's dinner.
The loss of Army Corporal Pat Tillman last week in Afghanistan
brought home the sorrow that comes with every loss, and reminds us of
the character of the men and women who serve on our behalf. Friends
say that this young man saw the images of September the 11th, and
seeing that evil, he felt called to defend America. He set aside a
career in athletics and many things the world counts important: wealth
and security and the acclaim of the crowds. He chose, instead, the
rigors of Ranger training and the fellowship of soldiers and the hard
duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Corporate [sic*] Tillman asked for no special attention. He was
modest because he knew there were many like him, making their own
sacrifices. They fill the ranks of the Armed Forces. Every day,
somewhere, they do brave and good things without notice. Their courage
is usually seen only by their comrades, by those who long to be free,
and by the enemy. They're willing to give up their lives, and when one
is lost, a whole world of hopes and possibilities is lost with them.
This evening, we think of the families who grieve, and the
families that wait on a loved one's safe return. We count ourselves
lucky that this new generation of Americans is as brave and decent as
any before it. (Applause.) And we honor with pride and wonder the men
and women who carry the flag and the cause of the United States.
Not only did Bush invoke 9/11 in his statements in spite of DOD
insistence that there was no support for such a statement, but he
neglected to mention that DOD had already determined that Tillman was
killed by friendly fire, a heroic but pointless sacrifice that perhaps
better embodies the stupidity of Bush's wars.
As Tillman's brother Kevin testified,
more...
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/01/31/pat-tillmans-super-bowl/
Saturday January 31, 2009
When the Arizona Cardinals take the field tomorrow, the most famous
Cardinal will not be with them.
I speak, of course, of Corporal Pat Tillman, who left the NFL after
9/11 to serve in the Army Rangers. Tillman was killed by friendly fire
in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. For months after his death, he was
used as a propaganda tool to glorify Bush's failed wars. The exposure
of the truth behind Tillman's death has since turned him into a symbol
of the duplicity of the Bush Administration, the fight for the truth,
and the futility of the war itself.
Shortly after his death, the Bush Administration (already campaigning
for the 04 election) pointed to his sacrifice. Karl Rove waxed, "How
does our country continue to produce men and women like this." On May
1, 2004, Bush again focused on Tillman's sacrifice in a speech at the
White House Correspondent's dinner.
The loss of Army Corporal Pat Tillman last week in Afghanistan
brought home the sorrow that comes with every loss, and reminds us of
the character of the men and women who serve on our behalf. Friends
say that this young man saw the images of September the 11th, and
seeing that evil, he felt called to defend America. He set aside a
career in athletics and many things the world counts important: wealth
and security and the acclaim of the crowds. He chose, instead, the
rigors of Ranger training and the fellowship of soldiers and the hard
duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Corporate [sic*] Tillman asked for no special attention. He was
modest because he knew there were many like him, making their own
sacrifices. They fill the ranks of the Armed Forces. Every day,
somewhere, they do brave and good things without notice. Their courage
is usually seen only by their comrades, by those who long to be free,
and by the enemy. They're willing to give up their lives, and when one
is lost, a whole world of hopes and possibilities is lost with them.
This evening, we think of the families who grieve, and the
families that wait on a loved one's safe return. We count ourselves
lucky that this new generation of Americans is as brave and decent as
any before it. (Applause.) And we honor with pride and wonder the men
and women who carry the flag and the cause of the United States.
Not only did Bush invoke 9/11 in his statements in spite of DOD
insistence that there was no support for such a statement, but he
neglected to mention that DOD had already determined that Tillman was
killed by friendly fire, a heroic but pointless sacrifice that perhaps
better embodies the stupidity of Bush's wars.
As Tillman's brother Kevin testified,
more...
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/01/31/pat-tillmans-super-bowl/
Saturday January 31, 2009