Smokee

No. Their complaint about the Army 'using' their son's death is that the army knew almost right away it was friendly fire. The family feels the army waited too long (three weeks) to admit that and used their son's story as a hero charging up a hill into enemy fire for the benefit of public relations.

The family also feels that the real story has not come out and they have a number of good reasons for that.

DrCloud

"Newsworthy" as defined by the national media depends crucially on the celebrity nature of the victim in this case, obviously -- that's why every such story involving a Joe Six Pack isn't "newsworthy".

And one of these national news reports that I saw included comments from the family's congressman about helping them out.

It is, after all, an election year.

Sorry to be so cynical, but I think the family's being used. Perhaps, though, they'll get their answers for all of it. HPH

cordycord

Apparently this is the eigth investigation into his death. If anything, the government can't be accused of burying this tragedy. However, I also heard that some feel that the army may not be the best entity to investigate themselves, which makes sense.

dean

Unfortunately, the media gets to define what constitutes newsworthy and the majority of the public seems content with it. Otherwise they wouldn't watch the vacuous nonsense that's presented as being significant.

I'm also cynical regarding the matter. Then again, I'm a devout cynic when it comes to almost everything.

ralper

Dean makes a very interesting point here that may have been missed. Not so much about what and who is newsworthy, but rather about does one have to be well known to get justice.

Pat Tillman was well know, a celebrity of sorts, who was killed by friendly fire. Because of his celebrity his family and others were able to force the army to reveal the truth about his death and reopen the investigation. If the dead soldier was Joe Sixpack would this have happened? Or would the truth about Joe's death have been buried with Joe? Unfortunately, I think both Joe and the truth would have been buried.

While most of you are right about what is newsworthy and what is not, justice is supposed to be for everyone, not just those who are well known.

I think that is a very important consideration.

cordycord

On the other hand, does Pat Tillman deserve more justice than Joe Sixpack? If we have indeed had several investigations of Tillman's death, is another tantamount to putting someone on trial multiple times until the verdict that suits the needs of the media is reached? That's a concern as much as any other.

Smokee

Well, the Army would probably have never made up the 'shot by the enemy charging the hill' story if it was the average soldier. Now the fact that they lied in the first place, the armor and clothes were burnt, the former lead army investigator saying things are fishy, all add up to a case that isn't solved. I hardly think you can accuse THE MEDIA of "putting someone on trial multiple times until the verdict that suits the needs of the media is reached." OK you can, but it doesn't hold water.

I suspect any soldier who turned down any kind of multi-million dollar contract to join the service might have made news in the same situation.

ralper

More justice, no. Justice, yes absolutely. And so far it doesn't sound like there was a proper investigation into this incident.

Smokee

How it was reported by the media, which got the story from the army.

[COLOR=blue]U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Matthew Beevers said Saturday that Tillman was killed Thursday night in a firefight at about 7 p.m. on a road near Sperah, about 25 miles southwest of a U.S. base at Khost.

After coming under fire, Tillman

cordycord

I did a little web search, and found that on January 4, 2003 the Washington Times listed Pat Tillman as the "Noble of the Year", while the writers and editors of the NYT edged out Harry Belafonte and Jumpin' Jim Jeffords as the "Knaves of the Year".

Whatever this next inquiry finds, Pat Tillman will remain a hero.