Pat Tillman follow up "from the left"

[Ripsnort]

http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/28/408f27f0591be

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.

How about some posters from the left of Tillman from the left?




there's more where that came from, however the link is busted this morning, when it did work, I had quoted this from the site... http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/04/286523.shtml


edit: looks like you can't see it anymore, but there was a thread where some people chose headlines for Tillman's death. Some of the results:


"Dumb Jock Killed in Afghanistan "

"privileged millionaire, blinded by nationalist mythology, pisses away the good life"

"Cottled sports star allows nationalism to foster jingoistic irresponsibility resulting in his death"

"Citizen of empire allows ignorance to cause him to die for imperialism"

"Capitalist chooses to kill innocents instead of cashing check"

Yep, America's finest in college.

[deSelys]

For once I totally agree with you Rip.

[Sixpence]

Sounds like an anti-jock has his panties in a bunch, see the responses at the bottom of the page?

[Yeager]

It all comes down to personal responsibility and being able to back up what one believes in.  I doubt the writer would be willing to do both at the same time.  However, Tillman would probably have enjoyed the irony of his sacrifice, he was an intelligent man from what I gather.

[Sixpence]

"While perusing through the paper today, I came across this rather ignorant article. Any article who's title includes the phrase "Not a hero: he got whats coming to him" must have some balls, and most likely no valid content. You see, much like your neighborhood in Puerto Rico, in the neighborhood in New Jersey that I come from, we like to call people who write such mind bogglingly stupid articles "tree hugging hippies". Which, loosely translated, means "idiot, moron,". When you say that someone who died fighting for what they believe in was a moron who "got whats coming to him", you automatically just renewed your passport to Planet Stupid. Your stance on the war is a moot point. A good person is now dead. Whether you're pro war, pro peace, democrat, republican, black, white, puerto rican, male, or female: death sucks. This point, which I presented rather eloquently, has been a universal constant since the dawn of time. Pat Tillman wasn't a murderer, rapist, child molester, or tax evader. He didn't "get whats coming to him". He fought in a conflict which, believe it or not, lots of people around the country seem to agree with. Does that mean that people who die because of smoking, drinking, drugs, and a sedentary lifestyle "deserve whats coming" simply because they make poor lifestyle choices? Does this mean that everyone who dies in an auto accident "deserves it" because they were driving? Does that mean that people who die in hate crimes "deserve it" because they were minorities? Of course not. Moron.

So, maybe when you die from rampant unchecked stupidity, or more likely herpes, we can make a movie about your life called "Star Trek 11: Rene's journey to Planet Stupid". You may think my title lacks creativity, and if so, too bad. You're wrong.

And, just for your information, Rambo didn't buddy up with the Taliban in Rambo III. He was with the Mujahedeen, who later became the Northern Alliance (the guys who fought with us in Afghanistan). The Taliban didn't get to Afghanistan till 1995, and if they were there in 1988 (when Rambo 3 took place), Rambo would have killed them too. You should have known that Rambo was way too badass to align himself with the Taliban, and way too badass to be stopped by bullets, hippies, or God himself. "

[storch]

Predictable, most of our universities are nothing more than liberal hatcheries spawning forth fry, unleashed upon the rest of us.  I can almost see the gleem in the eyes of the balding pony tailed demagogues in academia as they nod in approval.

[Maniac]

Ripsnort, stop draggin Pat Tillmans name in the dirt.

[storch]

Maniac is really in an altered state, quit it there are long term health risks directly connected to that behavior.

[Sandman]

Sifting through the responses to the article (at the bottom), I don't see a single one supporting Ms. Gonzalez opinion. I guess that The Daily Collegian isn't as "left" as you think.


I read a little bit of the other link and some of the opinions... Some of it's out there, and I don't agree with a vast majority of it, but I can't find any reason to be angry about it. This is just the sort of thing that our Founder intended when they wrote the 1st Amendment.

I love my country.

[storch]

which country is that, pray tell.

[Dowding]

Ripsnort found some people with a distateful point of view on the internet. That's unprecedented.

Sixpence - Who wrote that crap? Nice fairy tale with no basis in truth. The Northern Alliance and the Taliban relied on the armed forces of the local warlords who fought against the Russians and who switched sides multiple times down the years, depending on the prospects for loot or power. Rambo's comrades could well have been fighting for the Taliban when Afghanistan was attacked by the US and friends.

[Gunslinger]

I'll Tell you what the surprise here is:

Rene Gonzalez is a UMass graduate student.

Yup the author is from john kerry's neck of the woods.

Look at all the feedback she's gotten so far:

04/28/2004  This is absolutely disgusting. This...  Jesse Myers  
04/28/2004  This editorial is insane the...  Proud Member of the US Army  
04/28/2004  How did your mind become so warped?...  joshua  
04/28/2004  Rene, How could you possibly use...  john schultz  
04/28/2004  Tillman died *for* folks like Rene...  Ed Cutting  
04/28/2004  Your editorial is absolutely...  Maura McGarrity  
04/28/2004  Your editorial is absolutely...  Maura McGarrity  
04/28/2004  It is because rough and tumble men...  bill clark  
04/28/2004  Yes, your controversy has made its...  Andrew Stinger  
04/28/2004  Pat Tillman was a hero because he...  Omar Baca  
04/28/2004  Rene, Thanks for showing me what a...  Michael Lujan  
04/28/2004  Dear Rene Gonzalez; "It is best to...  Mark Winestock  
04/28/2004  I wonder if Rene Gonzales would think...  Don Edwards  
04/28/2004  Rene, I don't care about your...  Ian Sparkes  
04/28/2004  As an American, I am embarrased by...  equillian  
04/28/2004  I can only assume this was written to...  Harry McCaul  
04/28/2004  Talk about assumptions. 1) You...  A Jaw  
04/28/2004  This is crazy. I was at ASU when Pat...  Matthew Ogden  
04/28/2004  As an Arizona State University...  Patrick F. Campos  
04/28/2004  While your entire screed is poorly...  Baz Rousmann  
04/28/2004  Rene, like most graduate students,...  William  
04/28/2004  You can sit there and say that while...  Some War Supporter  
04/28/2004  Rene, you are lucky to be living in...  Sgt USMC8541  
04/28/2004  So, let me get this right. If Pat...  Joshua  
04/28/2004  A perfect example as to why Puerto...  Kevin Shook  
04/28/2004  Although this article does appear...  stin  
04/28/2004  Interesting article. After reading...  Sam  
04/28/2004  You, my sad, sad friend, are the...  Appalled  
04/28/2004  Just because YOU are a coward does...  Tom  
04/28/2004  Are you high? This man IS clearly a...  Jaime  
04/28/2004  This was obviously written by...  J. DeWitt  
04/28/2004  You should thank those soldiers that...  Keith Laudenberger  
04/28/2004  the old saying certainly applies...  gary feffer  
04/28/2004  Rene, I think you may be the poster...  Dirk Eyman  
04/28/2004  It is pretty sad that you have to...  Brian Gendron  
04/28/2004  This editorial is nothing but your...  Megan Evans  
04/28/2004  It is hard to express the outrage I...  Dan  
04/28/2004  The writer apparently missed the...  The Bear  
04/28/2004  You are a disgusting worthless jerk...  Kevin Felix  
04/28/2004  Perhaps you went to the Simeon Rice...  Tilly is a Hero  
04/28/2004  Sorry ,Rene. You had a chick name, so...  JAMES  
04/28/2004  What a useless person Rene Gonzalez...  Michael Christman  
04/28/2004  I am quite sure that if Spc. Tillman...  A fellow Ranger  
04/28/2004  As a handsome macho guy, I figure...  JAMES  
04/28/2004  The toughest part about serving my...  Ranger veteran  
04/28/2004  While perusing through the paper...  Eric  
 

[GtoRA2]

I agree with Sandy on this one.


It is some digusting stuff, but the writer has every right to be a total tool and write it.

[TheDudeDVant]

Its sad when any person dies for their country. Tillman's death makes him no more the hero than the other hundreds that have died in America's imperialistic march..

However unsavory this article may appear, it's primus is not that far away from the mark...


dude

[storch]

Imperialist,  marching into your neck of the woods soon.