Pat Tillman's widow tells Trump: Don't 'politicize' my husband's service

[Tony Stark]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/p...oliticize-my-husbands-service/article/2635616

Pat Tillman's widow tells Trump: Don't 'politicize' my husband's service

by Caitlin Yilek | Sep 26, 2017, 10:13 AM

The widow of Pat Tillman is urging President Trump to stop exploiting the death of her husband, an NFL player who gave up his Arizona Cardinals contract to serve as an Army Ranger after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

Marie Tillman released a statement to CNN on Monday night calling for unity, after Trump retweeted praise of Pat Tillman to call for a boycott of the NFL as players kneel during the national anthem in protest.

"As a football player and soldier, Pat inspired countless Americans to unify," Marie Tillman said. "It is my hope that his memory should always remind people that we must come together."

"Pat's service, along with that of every man and woman's service, should never be politicized in a way that divides us. We are too great of a country for that," she continued.

She said her husband, who was killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire in 2004, gave his life for the freedom of self-expression and the freedom to "speak from one's heart," no matter a person's views.

"It is my sincere hope that our leaders both understand and learn from the lessons of Pat's life and death, and also those of so many other brave Americans," her statement concluded.

Trump has stretched his feud with the NFL into its fifth day. He has called for a ban on players kneeling during the national anthem, and urged owners and coaches to fire players who take a knee during the song.

 

[gwb-trading]

All the NFL teams should follow the lead of Jerry Richardson, the owner of the Carolina Panthers

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/...-richardson-politicizing-the-game-is-damaging

Over the weekend and for much of Monday, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson was silent on President Donald Trump’s public criticism of NFL players who knelt during the national anthem and the ensuing reaction from players and ownership around the league.Late Monday afternoon Richardson, who is the only NFL owner who has played in the league, issued the following statement:

“We are proud of the men we have on this football team. Our players have been active and impactful participants in making our community stronger. From the first time I stepped into an NFL locker room at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore in 1959, I have lived and seen the sport’s ability to bring people of all backgrounds together. Politicizing the game is damaging and it takes the focus off the greatness of the game itself and those who play it.’’

 

[Covertibility]

So a team based in the South, the birthplace of racism, is not partaking in the demonstrations. Shocking!

 

[gwb-trading]

So a team based in the South, the birthplace of racism, is not partaking in the demonstrations. Shocking!

A team with many military members and veterans as fans in the Carolinas will not disgrace their service by dishonoring our country.

 

[Slartibartfast]

No disrespect to Pat Tillman but clearly too many 'fans' have goldfish memories.

Considering the highly suspicious circumstances of Tillman being shot in the back and dreadful coverup actions of the superiors involving Tillman's death, the US military does not need help disgracing itself.

Seriously, of all the men for Trump to pick on?

There is a supreme irony considering the reasons for the NFL protest are about a murderous state and institutionalised coverups.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman#Military_career_and_death

It will take just five minutes to read.

 

[Good1]

A team with many military members and veterans as fans in the Carolinas will not disgrace their service by dishonoring our country.

I'm trying to do the math on statements like this. How are they dishonoring the country?

If it's even possible that they could dishonor the country in this way, then the NFL has already been politicized by this pre-game loyalty ritual, which may well be a legacy of military imposition upon the game in terms of paid advertisement.

Are you saying these players need to regularly pass the ritual loyalty test, to see whether they support everything the police state is doing, and by extension, everything the military is doing, and visa-versa?

 

[piezoe]

A team with many military members and veterans as fans in the Carolinas will not disgrace their service by dishonoring our country.

As an honorary Southerner I accept that down here we are a little slow from time to time. But bless your heart, its strange to see a people speaking out for Justice in their own way being accused of disgracing our brave boys and girls in uniform. For the life of me, I'm having trouble making that connection.

 

[gwb-trading]

As an honorary Southerner I accept that down here we are a little slow from time to time. But bless your heart, its strange to see a people speaking out for Justice in their own way being accused of disgracing our brave boys and girls in uniform. For the life of me, I'm having trouble making that connection.

Why don't you drop down to Fayetteville and have have a conversation with some military members. The majority of them are not born in the South but from all over the country.

 

[Good1]

Again. I'm trying to do the math. How does sitting, or kneeling, (or staying in the locker room) during the national ritualistic pre-game loyalty test translate into "disgracing our brave boys and girls in uniform"? Especially in light of the Pat Tillman saga?

 

[piezoe]

Why don't you drop down to Fayetteville and have have a conversation with some military members. The majority of them are not born in the South but from all over the country.

Well I reckon then the problem lies with the military boys more than it does with the boys kneeling. You sure y'all weren't talking to Yankee soldiers by mistake.. There's liberals up there in them Fayetteville hills. That's not a fit place for any Southern boy, military or otherwise.