Posted on 10/21/2006 12:55:55 PM PDT by Arec Barrwin
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Pat Tillman's brother Kevin speaks out against war Associated Press
PHOENIX -- The brother of an NFL player who was killed in Afghanistan after quitting the team to join the U.S. Army Rangers has broken his silence.
Kevin Tillman, a former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan with his older brother, Pat Tillman, has remained silent since his brother's death in 2004. But this week, he wrote a scathing indictment of the war in Iraq, the Bush administration and American apathy.
"Somehow, the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes," Kevin wrote on Truthdig.com, which purchased his work.
The brothers, both Arizona State University graduates, joined the Army in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. They served together as Rangers with the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Pat Tillman, who played defensive back for the Arizona Cardinals, was killed by friendly fire near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in April 2004. The Defense Department is investigating allegations of a cover-up, including failure by the U.S. Army to tell Tillman's family for several weeks that he had been killed by gunfire from his fellow Army Rangers, not by enemy fire as they initially were told.
Kevin Tillman has not spoken publicly about the war or his brother's death since his discharge from the Army. But in Truthdig.com, Kevin wrote openly about the war and America's response to it.
"Somehow, the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country. Somehow, this is tolerated. Somehow, nobody is accountable for this." --Kevin Tillman, brother of Pat Tillman
"Somehow, the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country. Somehow, this is tolerated. Somehow, nobody is accountable for this."
After playing for the ASU Sun Devils, Pat Tillman was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998. He played with the team for four years.
On Sept. 12, 2001, he gave an interview in which he talked about how "stupid" football seemed relative to world events.
"At times like this, you stop and think about not only how good we have it but what kind of system we live under," he said. "My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor. And a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars. And I really haven't done a ... thing as far as laying myself on the line like that."
Pat was on the verge of signing another contract with the Cardinals in the spring of 2002 when he decided to join the Army instead.
The Tillmans were initially sent to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2003, the brothers returned to the States for training to become Army Rangers. After that, they were sent to Afghanistan.
"Follow the money...."
Isn't ESPN owned by ABC, which in turn is owned by Disney, which in turn is very leftist?
Just...ugh. Sad. And FWIW, I hate the MSM.
He's just gullible and naive.
Reads like it was written by an intellectual lightweight like Cindy Sheehan.
Are you saying that Tillman is doing this for money? What evidence do you have to back that up?
He's probably going through the "Anger" phase of the grief cycle anyway. He's wrong, but I'm not going to attack him over this.
Actually no one put a gunb up to Kevin Tillman's head to write this, IMO, hateful to his fellow Americans screed.
Just take a look at one paragraph below, where he takes pot shots at kindergarteners for "scribbling pictures in crayon" to send to the troops.
Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It's interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.
BTW, notice how Kevin Tillman let's the islamofascits off the hook.
Hmm.m.m... "incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country . . " - Do you mean to tell me Clinton's bunch is still in charge?
Funny that the Anger phase is 3 weeks before an election, 2 years after his brother's death and is directed at a front of the war on terror in which Pat was not, in fact, killed.
You're right. I just was trying NOT to put my immediate thoughts on the thread... my first thought when I saw this story was "Great! I guess he'll go join Cindy in the ditch." It just makes me sad for the Casey Sheehans and the Pat Tillmans when their family poops all over the country that their loved on gave their lives for. I dunno. My brother went and came back. But if he hadn't, I really can't imagine wanting to sully his memory by slamming the war he was in. Just doesn't seem right to me.
And the reason I hate the MSM is that this story will be broadcast far and near while the story of people like the family of Amanda Pinson will hardly get a second glance because -*gasp*- they still support the war that their barely 19 year old daughter died in.
Why not he attacks kindergarteners for having the audacity to "scribble pictures in crayons" to the troops.
Couldn't he have left the 5 years olds out of his bitter rant.
I've heard his screed was bought by truthdig.com.
Brotherly love.
I don't fault this guy for being angry or bitter. When somebody loses a family member, especially in a war effort that is being so politicized and misrepresented by the traitors and seditionists in the media/political circles, you cannot really be surprised at him not thinking straight. I do, however, fault leftists and media whores who prop up a microphone in front of him. He will regret this in 10 or 20 years. He won't regret being bitter or angry or even writing an angry letter. What he will regret is that so many people have heard him. And that is why the left is so shameless. They don't give a damn about Pat Tillman or his family. Just look at the disgusting mockery that was made of Tillman after he was killed. In the eyes of the left, nobody is above being exploited for political gain.
Gotcha, Kirk!
Funny thing, how much could truthdig have paid him to be such a whore? I mean, he could have just done this for free on a makeshift blog and called a few reporters. He could have submitted it for free. How much money does an outfit like truthdig.com have?
Makes you wonder.
"Somehow, the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes," Kevin wrote on Truthdig.com, which purchased his work.
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