`Insulting' statement in Tillman case probed

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

`Insulting' statement in Tillman case probed
By Scott Lindlaw
Associated Press
Article Launched: 05/18/2007 01:37:43 AM PDT



Congressional investigators have asked a high-ranking general what punishment was given to an Army officer who investigated the death of one-time NFL star Pat Tillman in Afghanistan and later made remarks that offended the Tillman family.

The query came in a letter this week from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which has been investigating the circumstances surrounding Tillman's 2004 death by "friendly fire" and the Pentagon's handling of it. The panel's chairman, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, and ranking GOP member, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, asked Gen. Carter Ham about the remarks by Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich questioning the religious faith of Tillman's parents.

"We believe these statements were crass, insulting to the Tillman family and completely inappropriate for an Army officer and an official representative of the U.S. military speaking to the press," Waxman and Davis wrote.

Kauzlarich was serving in Afghanistan in May 2004 when he was tapped to investigate Tillman's death. He concluded Tillman's fellow Army rangers shot him during a chaotic ambush.



Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_5925693?source=rss

[atommom]

1. Their lack of Christian faith had nothing to do with their refusal to accept

what they were being told. Is he saying that being a Christian makes you more likely to accept being lied to? That's not very flattering to Christians either.

[Kagemusha]

2. Yes, he is saying that Christians are gulliable and accept authority easily.

So, his point was, why couldn't THESE people do the same and just shut up and go away? Maybe because they're not believers?

No, it's not flattering, but in the context of the military, who's gonna argue it's not true?

[atommom]

7. Yes, clearly that was his point. And it certainly would have been easier

for the military if Tillman's family had been more willing to accept what they were told. They clearly weren't authoritarian follower types (like Bush's faithful 29%).

[DWilliamsamh]

8. Oh Contraire....

There lack of "faith" has every thing to do with it. See if they were "faith based" they would have just accepted what they were told by authority. The "faith based" don't follow their natural intelligence to find real answers if there authorty figures tell them to "drop it."

[atommom]

11. I agree, for those that are authoritarian types. For many people,

submission to authority is part of their belief system. That's one of the things I find most troubling about religious conservatives... that they convince people that not asking questions is a worthy trait. Liberal Christians tend to be more broadminded in my experience. Myself, I'm most comfortable being a suspicious heathen.

[youngdem]

15. A modern 'Conservative Christian' is a gullible sucker

Having invisible friends is for children.

Fighting and killing each other over whose invisible friend is the coolest is insane.

Living your life trying to 'follow' a book of translated oral fables is fucking nuts.

And following teachings that run contrary to what you can see with your own eyes and ears is absolutely ridiculous and destined to fail.

The Tillman's are atheists - at least his brother is. Good for them. Thinking for yourself is refreshing. His brother's statements about Pat's lack of faith at his memorial service were brilliant and brave in the face of a rabidly Christian country.

The army officer in this case pointed out something about himself in the course of attempting to insult the Tillman's. He showed that his version of Christianity is blindly believing what his GOVERNMENT tells him no matter what facts cross his field of view. That is fucking scary, and should give all Americans pause about what kind of country the far right in this country is trying to foist upon the rest of us.

[54anickel]

3. That is just so disturbing. That bit about a "better life" when you die doesn't

sound a whole lot different than the cracks we used to hear about suicide bomber and the x-number of virgins either. The whole thing just gives me the "creeps".

[The Stranger]

4. Something about roads paved with gold and mansions with many, many rooms?

[Tyler Durden]

5. This should surprise NO ONE.

Not when you have people like THIS clown in the military.

"One of the most noble things you can do is kill the enemy."
-Maj. Douglas Zembiec

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x907679

I may sound like a yahoo here, but hey, what goes around comes around. Tillman was foolish, but Kauslarich and Zembiec were lower than Neandertals.

[tabasco]

6. Definitely conduct unbecoming an officer.

Another embarrassment to my Army.

Insulting the family of a slain soldier embarrasses all honorable soldiers.

The Army needs to make sure this head-case doesn't make full bird.

They will probably let him retire as a LTC.

There's no place for religious bigots in the Army.

[Tempest]

9. Holy Shit!

During an interview last year with ESPN.com, Kauzlarich argued that the Tillman family, which pressured the Pentagon for a thorough investigation after initially being misled about how the football player was killed, would not accept previous Army findings, including his own, "because of the absence of Christian faith in their lives."


This guy was deeply involved in the cover-up of Tillman's death. Is that what he considers "Christian faith"? I'm starting to think it's time to feed them to the lions again.

[MsKandice01]

10. What the hell?!??

Why does it constantly feel like pod people are taking over our country, masquerading as religious zealots??

[anotherdrew]

16. because that's damn close to what's going on

this monstrous asshole is just one of many.

[daleo]

12. Isn't there a verse in the Bible?

"Submit to your generals as you submit to the Lord, for Christ is their Commander-in-Chief."

I mean, it's gotta be in there somewhere, right?

[mainer]

13. So he's saying soldiers should be delighted to die?

Wow, then the terrorists are doing Americans huge favors, aren't they, by killing so many of our soldiers over there and sending them to heaven.

[silvermachine]

14. Absolutely hideous...

...he must get his talking points from Cheney.