What's your take on Kevin Tillman's letter?, Pat Tillman's brother... Options

[cupcake]

After Pat’s Birthday
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601..._pats_birthday/
Posted on Oct 19, 2006
By Kevin Tillman

Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we got out.

Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few “bad apples” in the military.

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.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.

Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.

Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.

Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.

Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.

Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.

Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.

Somehow torture is tolerated.

Somehow lying is tolerated.

Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.

Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.

Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.

Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.

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.

In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that “somehow” was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.

Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.





Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,

Kevin Tillman

_______________________________________________________

[cupcake]

To be completely honest, I don't give a flying fuck about any and all Iraqi's. it's not because they're muslim, it's because I know they really don't give a fuck about us who are there to "help" them; of course they need the help due to us destroying their govt. and country. Some of you will retort this but Iraq was more stable and less of a threat with Saddam in power. We've been dealing with him for years and knew how to control him. I'm not from the school of cut and run, but I know a waste of military power and life when I see it.

We should be hunting Al Queda and that's it. I'm fuckin sick of hearing the president say that we're in iraq to keep us safe on our own soil. Eat a dick! this reasoning keeps me awake at night wondering how he was elected into office twice. it also just proves how weak and misguided the democrats were at the time.

We need to get out of there and focus our attention on real threats like NK and Al Queda and any other hadji's that want to get froggy. as long as we're on their homeland trying to implement a democracy and also stay allies with Israel (which I could honestly care less about), they will always hate us. I'm not naive to think that someday Muslims are gonna wake up and not have deep rooted hatred for christians and jews. they hate us...period.

Democracy in Iraq? sorry but it ain't gonna happen. just my opinion. I also know that not every muslim is radical and has intentions of hurting Americans, but I'm pretty sure most of them do and nothing will ever change that. seen it firsthand.

I'm not a Republican or Democratic fanboy, just someone that can see through this bullshit. I don't position myself with either or just because I disagree with either's policy's.

The Republicans are probably gonna lose the house and they deserve it for backing the wrong team. monumental mistakes have been made in Iraq and the lessons learned will be taught in schools for generations.

I love my country and the military but I strongly disagree with the current administration and cannot wait until they are gone and we have new leadership, regardless of party, that renew their focus and stop the bullshit spewing on FoxNews 24/7.

[impala454]

I love my country and the military but I strongly disagree with the current administration and cannot wait until they are gone and we have new leadership

i think a lot of people on this board feel this way, and to all of you i ask this: what do you believe the new leadership can do to rectify the situation, and keep our nation safe from terrorist attacks? if you were handed the presidency right this second what would you do?