There is a new trend in the effort to demonize Colin Kaepernick. This trend is silly and outright disrespectful to the dead. In a new effort: NFL fans not of color have taken it upon themselves to create a hero out of Pat Tilman in an effort to push back against the anti-hero that is Kaepernick. Yes, you read right. Pat Tilman, a man killed by friendly fire, who’s family had to BEG the US Government for the truth surrounding his death, is being used as a scapegoat to curtail freedom to protest. This makes no sense.
For starters, Pat Tilman did not get the respect he deserved, and the US Government is the reason why. Pat Tilman gave up his NFL career to fight in the war in Afghanistan in 2002. He was hailed as a hero and “true American”. What the the US Military give him in return? Three bullets to the head courtesy of friendly fire and a cover up. His family was told he was killed in an ambush by enemy combatants, his army buddies were told to lie to them at the funeral, his unit burned his personal effects to cover up his true feelings about the war and their crimes, his lieutenant signed a silver star citation claiming he was killed by enemy fire, his nationally televised funeral was that of a hero killed while combating the enemy, and many maintain it was murder due to his beliefs. And yet, somehow, people see this as a “THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD RESPECT THIS FLAG”. Wait, respect the flag that kills it’s own people and then lies to cover it up? Let’s take police brutality and continued oppression off the table for a small second. Pat Tillman alone is a reason to protest the US Government’s shady behavior.
Secondly, Pat Tilman himself was a critic of the US Military. He believed the war was illegal. His unit members even burned his journals to attempt to cover that up. He was an open critic of Bush, and a supporter of Noam Chomsky. Yet somehow he is being held as a standard AGAINST protesting the US Government. How? Let us be honest, the same people chanting “respect our vets” would have called Tilman a traitor were he still alive. His own lieutenant tried to blame his family having the nerve to seek justice on his religious beliefs. He took issue with the government not unlike Kapernick’s; and I’d bet my bottom dollar Tomi Lahren and the likes would be ranting about him until the cows came home had he lived to see it.
Thirdly, the US Media continues to re-victimize Tilman. His brother stated before congress “The deception surrounding this [Tillman] case was an insult to the family: but more importantly, its primary purpose was to deceive a whole nation. We say these things with disappointment and sadness for our country. Once again, we have been used as props in a Pentagon public relations exercise”. Even with this, people refuse to mention Tilman’s TRUE story. He is still painted as a poster boy and lied about for personal political gains. What is more, he specifically fought against being used for propaganda. He didn’t want it. He asked for it not to be done. Yet the media continues to. They continue to lie about his death by omission, the continue to lie about his views by omission. And they continue to pit him against those who want the freedoms he held dear.
This honestly goes to show, even in death, the people who “respect our vets” refuse to let them rest in peace with their values intact. Pat Tilman was absolutely a hero. But he was also a victim. Not of police brutality, but of government corruption and deceit. His family was victimized by the US Government. He was used unfairly to push military propaganda; he was spit on by the government he gave his life for. This country has repeatedly spit on the people they SWEAR they support (RE: Black Vets post WWI and WWII, Black Vets post Vietnam, Pat Tillman, and others). But when people speak out against such blatant abuses, THEY are the ones desecrating the memory? Colin Kaepernick and the rest of the NFL players protesting are sitting against blatant abuses of power, against murders, against cover ups, against lies, against propaganda. Colin Kaepernick is sitting for Pat Tilman. The big question is: Why aren’t you?
Why is it that one only wants to “support our troops” when that support involves oppressing and silencing others? Why is it that “supporting our troops” suddenly becomes invalid when our troops need our honesty or more than a half-hearted characterization? How can you say you “support our troops” when you continue to lie about Pat Tilman? Pat Tilman was a hero, the US Government refused to fully treat him as such. Is that not a reason to question this flag? Is that not proof this flag does not stand for what it says it does? Is that not a reason to kneel?
PS: Read here the account of Pat Tilman’s brother
