True hero athlete. Day's theme: Challenge yourself [Pat Tillman]

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | May 3 2004 | Gwen Knapp

[Soundman4x4]

Tillman's youngest brother, Rich, wore a rumpled white T-shirt, no jacket, no tie, no collar, and immediately swore into the microphone. He hadn't written anything, he said, and with the starkest honesty, he asked mourners to hold their spiritual bromides.

"Pat isn't with God,'' he said. "He's f -- ing dead. He wasn't religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he's f -- ing dead.''

What? This didn't happen for God, as well as country? A professional athlete turned soldier, and we're supposed to believe that he'd have no use for piety? Robbed of a cliche, where does that leave us?

[Not A Snowbird]

So Tillman's atheism makes it less of a sacrifice?

He didn't say Pat was an atheist, just that he wasn't religious. I'd be curious to know what Pat believed, not that it matters much now.

[cpdiii]

When my son's platoon went out on patrol in Iraq they would get together and pray before they left. When faced with immenent death, you will call on Gods grace and help.

[Maximilian]

nor is it surprising that the author attempts to portray him as "homophobic."

I read the implications in the totally opposite sense. Rather than implying he was homophobic, they are implying he was gay. Especially when you put the football coach's comments together with incident of showing up at a baptism dressed as the "godmother."

[threat matrix]

[Mr. Mojo]

Yes, you could be right.

[cajungirl]

The point is that a kid who lost his brother got drunk and dishonored his brother. It should have been private and the press made it public. It is sad and terrible that this kid's grief is being used for political purposes. The brother will feel bad about this one day, maybe even today, when he realizes he made the brother's service about himself and his cursing rather than the dead brothers death and sacrifice for our country. It is a pity it is spread out for all to see. It is really not our business.

[beckett]

Tillman was a thinking and, it appears, rather complicated man, not easy to stereotype. His brother's profanity strikes me as being an understandable expression of bitterness only, not necessarily an expression of true knowledge of Tillman's deepest beliefs. Even a man's brother does not know in full what that man believes in his heart.

[Bluntpoint]

He is a young kid who is grieving. That's all he is.

[Soundman4x4]

He was married and he doesn't sound like somebody who would look for a beard if he was gay.

[threat matrix]

The booze was flowing freely, it's probably a good idea to save it until after the speeches..for a toast

[Williams]

I didn't read the whole thing, but Tillman gave the ultimate sacrifice and I guess the brother knows he didn't do it for a bunch of what the brother views as sanctimonious people. Now I probably wouldn't curse at some religious gathering even if my deceased loved one didn't believe in any of that, but personally I find it refreshing that he just said what he wanted. He's obviously the kind of guy the reporters are always telling "unfortunately we're out of time ...."

[E Rocc]

So Tillman's atheism makes it less of a sacrifice? What's the point of the article??

Not at all. Indeed, if he was an agnostic (it doesn't say "atheist" it says nonreligious) one can say it was more of a sacrifice. In that case he wouldn't expect any heavenly reward.

Certainly it suggests that one can be a patriot and a hero without believing that we are "One Nation, Under God".

-Eric

[Pest]

All we are is shooting stars -Bad Co I thought that "All we are is dust in the wind". -Kansas

[BadAndy]

I guess Tillman's brother read the Ted Rall cartoon.

[Howlin]

Oh, I'm not hammering him; I just did not hear this and wanted to know if it was true.

Grieving people say a lot of stuff.

[Robert Drobot]

Wrong. The glass was for Pat's brother-in-law - the big guy - who spoke with respect for Pat and the assemblage. It was the scrawny kid that blew the lid on an otherwise moving memorial.

[The G Man]

Oh, get real.

This is a story posted to comment.

What are you so touchy.

Pat TIllman's brother has the right to say this. You don't agree.,

What's so damn sacrosanct about this time and place that you feel I stepped over some imaginary line.

~~~~~~~

Huh? I don't think YOU stepped over the line. I think his brother stepped over the line. I think the kid should've left his F Bomb arsenal at home myself.

[threat matrix]

He's probably just an 18-21 year old kid who can't handle his beer and is angry that he never gets to see his brother again.

[Howlin]

I sure wouldn't want to share my grief on national TV.

[theDentist]

If he's asking if that was truly said, then there must be doubt among "the sheep" to begin with.