Major Barf Alert: "Pat Tillman is not a hero: He got what was coming to him"

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Mastrogiacomo

Mastrogiacomo

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Pat Timman and Rene Gonalez

I just heard on the news that the hero who fought and died for this country without fan fare just received a nice insulting column by a grad student at U Mass in Amherst, named Rene Gonalez. In case you missed it -- he said in his country of Puerto Rico, Tillman would be called an idiot. He added that he was a Rambo want to be that was acting out a fantasy and "got what he deserved." Tell him what you think -- I did.

[email protected]

[email protected]
 
I heard this on channel 7 news in Boston. I'm not sure if it'll hit the papers tomorrow or not but the school mag is at www.umassmag.com

Not sure if it's listed anymore because this kid has been catching Hell from readers. How do we attract such losers to this country and lose so many good people in Iraq?
 
He does realize that he is writing his column from the US under the protection of the 1A and that guys like Tillman are protecting that right? Nah, he is too busy hating America to worried about small trivialities. It must be real comfortable to be "workin' hard" on that graduate degree while other men his age are dying to protect his sorry butt.
 
Slandering a national hero in this country gets nothing more than a lot handwringing and outcry.

I wonder what it would get in Puerto Rico?
 
I wonder if Mr. Gonzalez realizes that quite few Puerto Ricans have fought and died for their country. Some may have come from his neighborhood.
 
I respect the right of Gonzalez to say what he or she has to say; don't respect the statement. There seems to be an undercurrent of resentment towards strong men with Rene, I'm not sure if it's a man or woman, so there could even be some gender politics, who knows. Like I tell my kids sometimes, Gonzalez's punishment is being Gonzalez, what a poor twisted mind.
 
Pat Tillman IS a hero.

He had every opportunity to enjoy a good career in the NFL risking nothing more than being hit by 300 pound people on Sundays and making good money for it.

Instead he choose to wear the uniform of his country and risk his life in a war against terrorism, a war many of our citizens still do not realize had been declared upon us long ago.

But I guess that concept is lost on some people.

Rest in peace Mr. Tillman. Your memory is safe with those who understand.
 
I can't send her an email...

I tried! But if I do, I'll lose my temper, and I don't wanna hurt things


Please guys, tell me you're emailing her, those of you with cooler heads than me.


James
 
Here's the text of the mind-blowing column.

It's just too monumentally stupid to believe.



Pat Tillman is not a hero: He got what was coming to him

By Rene Gonzalez
April 28, 2004


When the death of Pat Tillman occurred, I turned to my friend who was watching the news with me and said, "How much you want to bet they start talking about him as a 'hero' in about two hours?" Of course, my friend did not want to make that bet. He'd lose. In this self-critical incapable nation, nothing but a knee-jerk "He's a hero" response is to be expected.

I've been mystified at the absolute nonsense of being in "awe" of Tillman's "sacrifice" that has been the American response. Mystified, but not surprised. True, it's not everyday that you forgo a $3.6 million contract for joining the military. And, not just the regular army, but the elite Army Rangers. You know he was a real Rambo, who wanted to be in the "real" thick of things. I could tell he was that type of macho guy, from his scowling, beefy face on the CNN pictures. Well, he got his wish. Even Rambo got shot in the third movie, but in real life, you die as a result of being shot. They should call Pat Tillman's army life "Rambo 4: Rambo Attempts to Strike Back at His Former Rambo 3 Taliban Friends, and Gets Killed."

But, does that make him a hero? I guess it's a matter of perspective. For people in the United States, who seem to be unable to admit the stupidity of both the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars, such a trade-off in life standards (if not expectancy) is nothing short of heroic. Obviously, the man must be made of "stronger stuff" to have had decided to "serve" his country rather than take from it. It's the old JFK exhortation to citizen service to the nation, and it seems to strike an emotional chord. So, it's understandable why Americans automatically knee-jerk into hero worship.

However, in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, Tillman would have been called a "pendejo," an idiot. Tillman, in the absurd belief that he was defending or serving his all-powerful country from a seventh-rate, Third World nation devastated by the previous conflicts it had endured, decided to give up a comfortable life to place himself in a combat situation that cost him his life. This was not "Ramon or Tyrone," who joined the military out of financial necessity, or to have a chance at education. This was a "G.I. Joe" guy who got what was coming to him. That was not heroism, it was prophetic idiocy.

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.

Perhaps it's the old, dreamy American thought process that forces them to put sports greats and "larger than life" sacrificial lambs on the pedestal of heroism, no matter what they've done. After all, the American nation has no other role to play but to be the cheerleaders of the home team; a sad role to have to play during conflicts that suffer from severe legitimacy and credibility problems.

Matters are a little clearer for those living outside the American borders. Tillman got himself killed in a country other than his own without having been forced to go over to that country to kill its people. After all, whether we like them or not, the Taliban is more Afghani than we are. Their resistance is more legitimate than our invasion, regardless of the fact that our social values are probably more enlightened than theirs. For that, he shouldn't be hailed as a hero, he should be used as a poster boy for the dangerous consequences of too much "America is #1," frat boy, propaganda bull. It might just make a regular man irrationally drop $3.6 million to go fight in a conflict that was anything but "self-defense." The same could be said of the unusual belief of 50 percent of the American nation that thinks Saddam Hussein was behind Sept. 11. One must indeed stand in awe of the amazing success of the American propaganda machine. It works wonders.

Al-Qaeda won't be defeated in Afghanistan, even if we did kill all their operatives there. Only through careful and logical changing of the underlying conditions that allow for the ideology to foster will Al-Qaeda be defeated. Ask the Israelis if 50 years of blunt force have eradicated the Palestinian resistance. For that reason, Tillman's service, along with that of thousands of American soldiers, has been wrongly utilized. He did die in vain, because in the years to come, we will realize the irrationality of the War on Terror and the American reaction to Sept. 11. The sad part is that we won't realize it before we send more people like Pat Tillman over to their deaths.

Rene Gonzalez is a UMass graduate student.
 
oops....double post.

But then again, my fingers were shaking and my sight a little blurry after reading that thing.....
 
You know he was a real Rambo, who wanted to be in the "real" thick of things. I could tell he was that type of macho guy, from his scowling, beefy face on the CNN pictures.
Click to expand...

I stand in awe of this "person's" ability to so finely discern character from nothing more than a picture.

:barf:
 
For some ballance :


In yesterday's Editorial/Opinion section of The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, a column titled "Pat Tillman is not a hero: he got what was coming to him" appeared. In the piece, graduate student Rene Gonzalez wrote about the death of former NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman, who was killed during a skirmish in Afghanistan last Friday.

A flood of feedback has poured in, nearly all of which is harsh criticism of either Gonzalez's words or of The Collegian's decision to run the column. In fact, reader response has been so great that we would like to take this opportunity to respond to our readers.

Rene Gonzalez is a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts who occasionally submits columns to The Collegian. While his views in no way reflect the opinion of our editorial board or staff, we base our decisions not on whether we agree with the opinion of students submitting opinion pieces, but on the backbone of journalism: The First Amendment.

As a news organization, The Collegian lists the First Amendment as its most important value and asset. We do not hold back from printing news stories, columns or editorials that may upset our readership - instead, we seek to both inform and stir debate through our publication. Our decision to publish Gonzalez's column - an opinion piece written by a member of our campus community - is the only way for us to live up to this ideal.

One of the most important points that we at The Collegian want to stress to our readers is the nature of the Editorial/Opinion page. Not one columnist or student's opinion printed on our page represents that of the paper at large. Gonzalez's opinion is his own, and it runs under our pages as a single voice on our campus. The Editorial/Opinion page is designed to give a wide variety of students a chance to speak through a large-scale medium. With that comes the possibility of discourse and disagreement, and that is an accepted reality for us.

We would also like to draw attention to the fact that The Collegian has reported and commented on Tillman's death, and life, on a number of occasions in the last few days. Two columns written by editors on our staff have been published in praise of Tillman's life and his willingness to sacrifice it for what he believed in, including one column that ran on the page next to Gonzalez's. This was done intentionally, to display to our readers that we do not publish any opinion piece with more favor than any other - instead, we adhered to one of our missions: to create discussion, with dialogue on the merits of each argument.

The opinion of Gonzalez, though it dissented from that of the other two columns, deserved its space within the debate. Through the Web site feedback, phone calls and e-mails we have received, it has become very obvious to us at The Collegian that Gonzalez's opinion has caused a lot of controversy and frustration. We cannot, however, compromise the mission of our publication for the sake of ensuring the constant happiness of our readership. Gonzalez has just as much right to the opinion he presented as anyone else does, and we at The Collegian hope that this incident will foster a relationship with our readers that shows we are open to all opinions, not only the ones many people agree with.

We welcome all feedback on the issue, and hope that this represents growth in our relationship with you, the readers.

Sincerely,

The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Editorial Board


http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/29/4090744e398cd?in_archive=1
 
and this appeared in the same paper, just a sample:

Rene Gonzalez, author of "Pat Tillman is not a hero: he got what was coming to him," is responsible for the most disgusting, ignorant, and insulting articles I have ever read. I, as every single person I have discussed the Pat Tillman tragedy with, do believe that Pat Tillman was a hero. Do I think this because of a "knee jerk" reaction based on conditioning by "America is #1 propaganda bull?" No, I believe this because it is an irrefutable fact.

...

If Pat Tillman is the measure of an "idiot" in Rene Gonzalez's Puerto Rican neighborhood, then he is the measure of a "hero" in my American neighborhood.

God bless Pat Tillman, his family, and the rest of our troops.

Michael J. Reardon
UMass Student

http://www.dailycollegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/29/409073723500a?in_archive=1
 
It's made ESPN even...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1792200



ESPN.com news services
AMHERST, Mass. -- A University of Massachusetts student has openly criticized Pat Tillman, calling the former NFL player a Rambo-like idiot in the school paper.


The column in question was submitted by graduate student Rene Gonzalez and published Wednesday in the Daily Collegian. It was titled "Pat Tillman is not a hero: he got what was coming to him."


Gonzalez writes that Tillman was a "Rambo" who probably acted out of "nationalist patriotic fantasies." In his own neighborhood in Puerto Rico, according to Gonzalez, Tillman would not have been considered a hero, but a "pendejo," or idiot.


The column drew harsh criticism from many on campus. University president Jack Wilson says the op-ed piece was "disgusting, arrogant and intellectually immature."


Tillman, who gave up his NFL career to join the Army Rangers in 2002, was killed in combat one week ago in Afghanistan. The military announced on Wednesday that he has been posthumously promoted to the rank of corporal and awarded the Purple Heart and Meritorious Service Medal.


"You know he was a real Rambo, who wanted to be in the 'real' thick of things," Gonzalez writes in his column, which is posted on the collegiate paper's Web site. "I could tell he was that type of macho guy, from his scowling, beefy face on the CNN pictures. Well, he got his wish. Even Rambo got shot in the third movie, but in real life, you die as a result of being shot. They should call Pat Tillman's army life 'Rambo 4: Rambo Attempts to Strike Back at His Former Rambo 3 Taliban Friends, and Gets Killed.'"


Gonzalez also says that Tillman's service was not "necessary."


"It wasn't like he was defending the East coast from an invasion of a foreign power. THAT would have been heroic and laudable," Gonzalez writes. "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."


In a letter to its readers Thursday, the Daily Collegian says Gonzalez' opinion in no way reflects that of the newspaper's editorial board. A column by one of the editors praising Tillman's sacrifice ran in the paper next to the one by Gonzalez.


"We do not hold back from printing news stories, columns or editorials that may upset our readership -- instead, we seek to both inform and stir debate through our publication," the letter, also posted on the Web site, reads. "Our decision to publish Gonzalez's column -- an opinion piece written by a member of our campus community -- is the only way for us to live up to this ideal."


Tillman will be eulogized at a public memorial service in his hometown of San Jose, Calif., early next week, and funeral arrangements are pending.


The body of Tillman arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday. His brother, Spc. Kevin Tillman, also a Ranger with the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment, was expected to accompany the body to the funeral home, Lawrence said.


Tillman was killed in a firefight on a road near Sperah, about 25 miles southwest of a U.S. base at Khost.


After coming under fire, Tillman's patrol got out of their vehicles and gave chase, moving toward the spot of the ambush. Beevers said the fighting was "sustained" and lasted 15-20 minutes.


The Cardinals said they will retire Tillman's No. 40 and name the plaza surrounding the new stadium under construction in suburban Glendale the "Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza."
 
I love the result of multi-culturism is having in this country currently. Come here to study and prosper since your culture could not produce a thriving democracy or opportunities then criticize the very characteristics that created the environment in which you are prospering. I think my America died years ago. Years ago people came here and embraced the ideals that created this county - now they come, want special treatment while demanding equality and then never contribute back.

I am filled with rage that this is what our campuses produce and tolerate.
 
Am I the only one that thinks he should just take his ass back to Puerto Rico? Why enjoy the benefits of being in the United States if you're not willing to allow the country to be defended and be grateful for it?
 
I would question whether this column deserves a space in the 'debate.' In fact, I question that there is a debate at all. What are we debating?

That Tillman died to keep us free?
That Tillman gave up a life of luxury and made the ultimate sacrifice?
That Tillman is a a hero in the truest sense of the word?

In my view, these are irrefutable facts. There is no debate.

I think the editorial board of the paper is pulling the old 1st Amendment ruse that is so common when the free speech in question denigrates a white male or traditional American values.

The same editorial board would be hiding under their desks in terror if this Rene creature had denigrated a black man or homosexual. In fact, they never would have run the column.
 
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