Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Army Says Pat Tillman Is Worm Dirt - Deal With It, Grieving Parents!
American hero Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. You'd think that the Army would want to find out exactly what happened, and discipline those who were responsible.
Well, you'd be wrong.
Instead, Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich has decided to blame everything on the Tillman family's atheism instead.
[link] Kauzlarich said he is confident the current probe will not result in criminal charges against the shooter or shooters. He said investigators would not still be examining the incident at all if it were not for Tillman's NFL celebrity — he walked away from a multimillion-dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals when he enlisted — and the pressure brought to bear by Tillman's family on a number of Washington politicos.
"His parents continue to ask for it to be looked at," Kauzlarich said. "And that is really their prerogative. And if they have the right backing, the right powerful people in our government to continue to let it happen, then that is the case.
"But there [have] been numerous unfortunate cases of fratricide, and the parents have basically said, 'OK, it was an unfortunate accident.' And they let it go. So this is — I don't know, these people have a hard time letting it go. It may be because of their religious beliefs."
In a transcript of his interview with Brig. Gen. Gary Jones during a November 2004 investigation, Kauzlarich said he'd learned Kevin Tillman, Pat's brother and fellow Army Ranger who was a part of the battle the night Pat Tillman died, objected to the presence of a chaplain and the saying of prayers during a repatriation ceremony in Germany before his brother's body was returned to the United States.
Kauzlarich, now a battalion commanding officer at Fort Riley in Kansas, further suggested the Tillman family's unhappiness with the findings of past investigations might be because of the absence of a Christian faith in their lives.
In an interview with ESPN.com, Kauzlarich said: "When you die, I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don't believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt. So for their son to die for nothing, and now he is no more — that is pretty hard to get your head around that. So I don't know how an atheist thinks. I can only imagine that that would be pretty tough."
Asked by ESPN.com whether the Tillmans' religious beliefs are a factor in the ongoing investigation, Kauzlarich said, "I think so. There is not a whole lot of trust in the system or faith in the system [by the Tillmans]. So that is my personal opinion, knowing what I know."
Asked what might finally placate the family, Kauzlarich said, "You know what? I don't think anything will make them happy, quite honestly. I don't know. Maybe they want to see somebody's head on a platter. But will that really make them happy? No, because they can't bring their son back."
I think I'm going to vomit.
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The man should do us all a favor and sew up his mouth.
Basically, my title said it all.
Investigations
It may be that Pat's death is being investigated more thoroughly because of his family and fame. But does this mean that Pat's death is being investigated too much or that other similar deaths are being investigated too little? Combat is chaotic by nature and so I could not support witch hunts. Not every death by friendly fire will warrant disciplinary action, but thorough investigations may prevent future mishaps. Surely that would be in everyone's best interest.
Anyway, Kauzlarich is a malignant moron, a poster boy for the stupidity that is religion.
Pat was a hero and his family should be proud.
Wow.
Damn. The story makes the point about as well as I could, but I'll say this anyway to underline it:
As I see it, one of the chief dangers of religion is that it cheapens the value of life. The evidence is right here in this man’s words.
“None of our CHRISTIAN parents carry on like this,” Kauzlarich whines, implying that Christians are generally content to just let their sons' deaths go unremarked and unprotested – presumably because they're convinced those beloved boys have gone on to eternal reward.
But if all parents only shut up and soldiered, the military would be forever able to sweep these incidents under the rug, and thus perpetuate a system of minimal followup. If deaths like this "didn't happen," there is no need to change training, discipline, or the conduct of the war.
Imagine soldiers dying for lack of adequate vehicle or body armor (I know, it’s pretty far-fetched) and imagine the remaining soldiers, and their parents back home, just sitting back and letting it happen. Nothing would change, no extra body armor or vehicle armor would arrive, and soldiers would continue to die – needlessly – in the very same way. But at least the Army would be comfortable. It seems that’s really what Kauzlarich wants.
To this particular atheist, he appears to be an ill-informed little turd, and insulting besides.