A Tribute
Friday April 22, 2005, is the one year anniversary of the death of Patrick Tillman. Let us take the time to remember what is still going on in the world today, and not forget the other men and women of our armed forces that risk their lives on a daily basis so we may go on aimlessly debating about the penal system in America and the race in the AL East. Each and every one of them is a hero. Tillman's feats do not overshadow anyone that gave their life before, with or after him, but he brings coverage because of his athlete status.
So on this day, let us remember what really matters. Not how underpaid and overworked we are, not what movies come out this weekend, or what the weather will be like. What matters is the American flag, and more importantly, what it stands for and the men and women overseas. You don’t have to agree with American politics, hell, you can downright hate them, but you better realize the good fortune you enjoy in living here, and appreciate what makes it so.
A year ago, less than a week after the death of Ranger Tillman, Rene Gonzalez, then a grad student at UMass, came out with an atrocious take on the life of Pat Tillman (it can be read in its entirety here). Now this article is not to rebut what Gonzalez had to say a year ago, anyone with reading skills can spot the idiocy of the article with a quick overview.
The main point of the article was that Tillman was doing nothing more than acting out his own fantasies from American movies like Rambo; and that his service was completely unnecessary. It should also be pointed out that Gonzalez said that in his native Puerto Rico “Tillman would have been called a “pendejo,” an idiot.” Someone might want to let him know that Puerto Rico is US owned, its citizens are American citizens. And, should it ever be attacked, it is the US military that will defend it.
Where were you on September 11th 2001? I’m sure nobody will ever forget that day. It’s an unforgettable instance for this generation. Much like the JFK assassination and the Challenger explosion were for generations past. Did you feel the least bit of helplessness that day? Like, did this really happen in America? What an awful thing, I wonder what I can do to help. Well, Pat Tillman wondered, and he came up with a solution. And maybe some of you came up with the same solution he did, but, if you’re reading this today, then I doubt you followed through with it. And you weren’t even turning down a $3.6 million NFL contract.
So take a minute out of your busy day today. A minute to pay tribute to the men and women of the armed services. To those that we hope come home soon, and those that will never be forgotten. Pat Tillman didn’t want the fame. He wouldn’t give interviews, or allow cameras at boot camp. He wanted to be one of the boys. And he was. He did his job, and unbeknownst to him, he became the face of the most important collection of people that America has. Because love them or hate them, without the armed services, the Government does not rule, the people do not eat, and the American flag does not fly higher than the rest.
So on this day, let us remember what really matters. Not how underpaid and overworked we are, not what movies come out this weekend, or what the weather will be like. What matters is the American flag, and more importantly, what it stands for and the men and women overseas. You don’t have to agree with American politics, hell, you can downright hate them, but you better realize the good fortune you enjoy in living here, and appreciate what makes it so.
A year ago, less than a week after the death of Ranger Tillman, Rene Gonzalez, then a grad student at UMass, came out with an atrocious take on the life of Pat Tillman (it can be read in its entirety here). Now this article is not to rebut what Gonzalez had to say a year ago, anyone with reading skills can spot the idiocy of the article with a quick overview.
The main point of the article was that Tillman was doing nothing more than acting out his own fantasies from American movies like Rambo; and that his service was completely unnecessary. It should also be pointed out that Gonzalez said that in his native Puerto Rico “Tillman would have been called a “pendejo,” an idiot.” Someone might want to let him know that Puerto Rico is US owned, its citizens are American citizens. And, should it ever be attacked, it is the US military that will defend it.
Where were you on September 11th 2001? I’m sure nobody will ever forget that day. It’s an unforgettable instance for this generation. Much like the JFK assassination and the Challenger explosion were for generations past. Did you feel the least bit of helplessness that day? Like, did this really happen in America? What an awful thing, I wonder what I can do to help. Well, Pat Tillman wondered, and he came up with a solution. And maybe some of you came up with the same solution he did, but, if you’re reading this today, then I doubt you followed through with it. And you weren’t even turning down a $3.6 million NFL contract.
So take a minute out of your busy day today. A minute to pay tribute to the men and women of the armed services. To those that we hope come home soon, and those that will never be forgotten. Pat Tillman didn’t want the fame. He wouldn’t give interviews, or allow cameras at boot camp. He wanted to be one of the boys. And he was. He did his job, and unbeknownst to him, he became the face of the most important collection of people that America has. Because love them or hate them, without the armed services, the Government does not rule, the people do not eat, and the American flag does not fly higher than the rest.
posted by Trevor at 2:36 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home