Essay by Kevin Tillman, Pat Tillman's Brother

[kevin881]

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday/

[liberalmuse]

1. That was powerful!

Thank you for the link! Highly recommended reading!

[yellerpup]

2. Must Read!

Eloquent and angry, loving and heartbreaking. Just how you'd expect a brother to feel. K&R:kick: :kick: :kick:

[valerief]

3. Very well said. Thanks. nt

[jbfam4]

4. thanks for posting

I just sent this letter to the OC Register. This is a must read.

[jarnocan]

5. a MUST read and share for sure nt

[Laurab]

6. K&R Because it deserves to be n/t

[ManWroteTheBible]

7. Pat Tillman's brother Kevin weighs in...

Just in case nobody saw this...

After Pat’s Birthday

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 get 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

Source:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday/

[truebrit71]

8. Absolutely awesome piece...

Simply brilliant!

[MsKandice01]

9. This brought tears to my eyes...

Wow. Very powerful.

[Hissyspit]

10. It's in General Discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2443144&mesg_id=2443144

[Mnemosyne]

11. "Somehow this is tolerated." Not by those of us

with brains and compassion Kevin. Powerful!

k and r!

[heidiho]

14. This blew me away - I have sent it on to my entire e-mail list

A very very powerful essay by one who deserves a forum . . .

I wonder if any of those who need to read this will.

[peacetalksforall]

17. May I add a Somehow? Just read the article preceding this one

about Iraq. A father of a student in one of the schools says he and his friend estimate that work done on the school his child goes to as about $1,800 (generously converted from British pounds).

Contract paid someone $20 million.

Somehow friends of George cheat, profit, and run.

With all consideraton given to heresay - it would not surprise meif every million of profit is accurate and true.

Is anyone doing anything? Don't we have a non-partisan GAO that is subject to overshight by our Congress?

Where is everybody?

I thank Kevin Tillman for his quality message to the world.

[chelaque liberal]

27. Would you cite that article please? I would like to read it.

[peacetalksforall]

29. Sorry for being late in responding - it was from the DU home

page blog just above the Tillman one. The article is from the Times Online - LON.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2413011,00.html

This is the DU blog/thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2571057

[Gregorian]

12. We tried, Kevin. We're still here, trying.

How accurate and concise. An unbelievably complete statement by Kevin Tillman. I'm sorry it was inspired by death.

I am proud to belong and stand tall with a group of Americans. This forum, and others are among the many who do not believe the hype.

[ForeignSpectator]

13. probably everyone knows...

...but just in case someone doesn't, Pat Tillman gave up his NFL career to serve his country.

[bobbie]

22. And Pat had intellect to match his courage

He was a great man. His brother is a great man.

[Quixote1818]

15. Everyone needs to send this off as a chain letter! EVERYONE!

Especially if it's to Republican's!

[pasto76]

16. re:

Mr Tillman has a voice because of his brother's fame. I'm glad he's using it. I wish more of our soldiers could get the headlines the Tillman family name deservedly garners. I know for a fact that his brother approves.

OIF1 VET

[chelaque liberal]

28. Welcome to DU.

[MGKrebs]

18. Wow.

I have no other words.

[Bullshot]

19. ESPN's website ran the story.

This story may be growing some legs in the other media.

The comment that got my attention was: "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."

When Bush loses his support for Iraq & Afghanistan, what does he have to stand on?

If it wasn't for 9/11 and the events that transpired afterward, this administration would not have anything to hang their hat on. Bush would have been a one-term failure no matter what tricks Diebold, Rove and the other crooks in the system had up their sleeves.

As it is, Bush will go down in history as a two-term failure.

[TankLV]

20. Very moving, very eloquent...

And the few idiots who would DARE question his right, duty, and courage to say it, proves that we must find a way to ISOLATE and MARGINALIZE these idiots, so that they can never affect our national direction ever again...

I am saddened and angry at these idiots who sulk in dark corners and lash out at us who HAVE BEEN PROVEN CORRECT in our opposion to the REPUKE WAR CRIMINALS and their cheerleaders...

[bobbie]

21. "Somehow America..."

The evil powers that be want us to believe that Pat was a big ol' GI Joe doll. I know better. Pat knew the truth and would have spoken out. Given his prominence, that couldn't be permitted.

Now Kevin knows the truth and is speaking out. That's one fine family.

Thank you Pat, thank you Kevin, for doing everthing a person can do to make their country what it should be.

"Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is." - Kevin Tillman

[bluerum]

23. This is clear, concise, and damning. nt

[insane_cratic_gal]

24. I think I might make copies

and make a trip to the mall and pass them out on any windshield with a wiper.


Is that legal? So long as the site is listed?

[Bucky]

26. Yes, you can do that

It's legal, so long as you don't make any money off it and mall security doesn't catch you distributing flyer on private property (which isn't "illegal" but will get you in trouble--altho compared to IEDs is probably an acceptable level of trouble).

[Freedom_from_Chains]

25. Another left-wing conspiracy uncovered to soil the name of a

good man. Why do Democrats hate America so much? :sarcasm:

[Old Smokey]

30. Truly Awesome

[goddess40]

31. My local newspapers didn't know who Tillman was

I sent them the link and the copy for this and the response I got back was who was this guy and he would have to submit it himself! Both editors are fairly liberal and it stuns me that they would have to ask.