An open letter to Pat Tillman: I was wrong. Forgive me.

[Pale Blue Dot]

Dear Pat,

As an NFL Football fan, I remember when you made your decision to leave your lucrative job with the Arizona Cardinals to fight alongside your countrymen in Afganistan. Your choice made me make some assumptions about you: Specifically, I assumed you were one of those flag-waving, ultra-nationalistic neocons. Nobody, I thought, would make the choice you did otherwise.

My opinion was reinforced when you were killed in that war. You were hailed as a national hero, a symbol of everything we supposedly went to war for. There was endless coverage of your death on the cable news channels, particularly Fox, and big, expensive, patriotic tributes to you during NFL games. It seemed to me that you must have gotten exactly what you wanted: someone for your man Bush to wrap the flag around.

I was wrong. Very, very wrong.

It turns out that you went for exactly the reasons you claimed you did. You were a soldier and a patriot in the noblest sense of the word, and you felt it was your duty to go and fight for your country, alongside your countrymen. For you it wasn't about politics at all, but about honor and commitment and a country you loved.

However, it didn't take you long to see that this war had nothing to do with honor and everything to do with the obsessions of an evil, opportunistic group of men in the White House. You apparently began to speak out, continuing your fight for the ideals of your country and the lives of your fellow soldiers. Soon, you wound up dead, with 3 bullet holes "accidentally" created in your skull.

I bought the whole thing, Pat. Me, a progressive, liberal Democrat who hasn't believed a word this administration or the news media has said since 9/12/2001. I believed that you were who they said you were, and that made you seem like less of a hero than you actually were. In fact, you were the greatest kind of hero: someone who was willing to fight for our country and who never gave up, no matter how dangerous the enemy was. And the enemy, as it turned out, was deadly. And it was us.

I hope that wherever you are you can forgive me for not seeing the truth at the time. You were, and always have been, the best sort of American. Rest in peace.


This thread was inspired by this one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x715016

[Horse with no Name]

1. Amen.

What our country needs are thousands like him, willing to "do what it takes".
May he rest in Peace, for he is the true American hero we grew up believing in.

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. We need an investigation into his death

soon

[DURHAM D]

3. "...to fight alongside your countrymen in Iraq." - I thought he

joined up because of the fight in Afghanistan and was killed in Afghanistan - perhaps because he disagreed with the Bush decision to morph the war into a confrontation in Iraq.

[IsIt1984Yet]

8. That's the theory. A powerful voice of dissent is a dangerous thing.

[Pale Blue Dot]

12. Looks like I'm still getting it wrong.

You're exactly right. I'm going to edit my original post so as not to look quite so... stupid. :-(

[DURHAM D]

16. Way to go - it is a really important distinction that he joined up

because of Afghanistan and not Iraq. The first war really was about 9/11.

[babylonsister]

4. Nom. gladly for a wonderful, heartfelt letter. nt

[pitohui]

5. good for you, finnfan

no one is hundred percent all the time, it's the honest person who can admit to a mistake

[MSgt213]

6. This is a gracious letter. Thank you so much for sharing and for proving

us liberals can admit when we are dead wrong. No pun intended.

[Elidor]

7. I feel the same way

I respected him for giving up all that money, but I felt that he must be a gung-ho fool. Nevertheless, Ted Rall's treatment of his death was very offensive. And my own preconceived ideas were just as much bullshit as Rall's judgemental attitude. I'm thankful that I kept my view largely to myself and didn't publish a nationally syndicated comic showing the entire world what a thoughtless, arrogant ass I am.

Over time I have come to admire him very much. We need more selfless individuals like Pat.

[Old and In the Way]

9. Good post.

I'm guilty of some of the same pre-judgements. As I learned more about him, I saw he was far more complex than this administration and the corporate media originally portrayed him. I suspect that Pat may have even become another "Fighting Dem" had he had the opportunity to return home and educate the public on what is really happening in the ME.

[ewagner]

10. Two giants here

Pat Tillman for what he did :patriot:

and Finnfann for admitting the error..... :patriot:

[I Have A Dream]

11. Great post, Finnfan! Recommended. n/t

[jesus_of_suburbia]

13. YAY!

Please,

Everyone needs to remember that their are many other "Pat Tillman"'s in the army.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

14. And I'd say that Pat would congratulate you.....

And I'd say that Pat would congratulate you for thinking for yourself and not listening to the Neocon agenda without question.

[IndyOp]

15. Welcome to DU Jesus!!

:hi:

[petgoat]

17. Don't Forget that Your Misperception of Pat Applies to Red States

as well.

There are a lot of honest and honorable and free-thinking people out there.
Don't let the Bushcists convince you any different!

[understandinglife]

18. Recommended. Very fine tribute to a wonderful person. You may ...

... find this thread of interest:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=725608&mesg_id=725608

Thank you for sharing your letter; I hope his parents and family are able to read it.


Be The Bu$h Opposition - 24/7

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

19. With All Due Respect, Learning His Political Affiliation Shouldn't Be What

caused you to see err in your original condemnation. Realizing that you shouldn't have condemned him regardless of how his political or heartfelt positions lined up with yours is the lesson that probably should've been learned. Many of our troops fight the cause while being rabid * supporters, but they too think it's "about honor and commitment and a country they love". They have the right to believe that if they choose, but it doesn't make them any less of a hero for going out on the front lines like they do. I'm sure it is an extremely insignificant number of troops that fight on the front lines merely because of politics and because they want to make * look good, and I find that theory absurd. I think no matter what side of the aisle they're on they join and fight because they think it is the right thing to do and they would die to defend our country for what they consider to be a noble cause. And I'm sorry, but for that they are all deserving of our gratitude whether they support the shrub or not. It is he to blame for using our military in ways they shouldn't be used, but it is not their fault for following the orders they are trained to follow and doing so because they believe in their commander in chief or the honorability of their mission. It is what they are supposed to do.

So I'm proud of you for opening up like you did and exposing your error, but I think the greater lesson to be learned is to not verbally attack any of our troops just because they have political differences with you. They are all (well, the overwhelming majority of them) the epitomy of bravery and should have all of our respect regardless.

Just my opinion, of course.

[truebrit71]

20. Well said. Count me as one who feels the same way..

..I am somewhat embarrassed both by my original supposition, and the fact that I totally bought into the rah-rah shit, even AFTER Pvt Lynch's "rescue"...

Anyone that reads Chomksy and speaks out against the war whilst wearing a uniform is alright in my book...

[slor]

21. Well said Finnfan...

he broke a few assumptions, and maybe I am wrong, but I never would have guessed anyone in the NFL had even heard of Chomsky. Wrong to be sure, but that was my state of mind. In any event, Pat Tillman fits the bill of a real hero.

[lonestarnot]

22. Nope none of this changes my mind. He volunteered for this

bullshit. He volunteered to be shot down like some mad dog.

[onenote]

23. he volunteered to fight in afghanistan

And while some may disagree with that decision, at least a case can be made that going into Afghanistan was justified and had the potential to actually produce a positive result for the people subjugated by the Taliban's religious fanaticism. THe fact that chimpy appears to have screwed up the Afghanistan operation does not mean the initial decision to go there was wrong, it just proves that this administration is incapable of even doing the right thing correctly.

onenote