(Revising) A Hero's Story
There is a new investigation into the death of Pat Tillman. From the WashPost:
When Tillman's story first came out, it was latched on to the growing number of military hero stories the media was finding; stories that injected the American people with a since of nationalistic pride which kept many from asking probing questions about the war itself.
I always found it interesting that stories of soldiers "fighting the enemy until their last breath" got more play with the media (and the Bush Administration) than any other soldier story (lack of body armor, back-to-back re-deployment, not being able to see the coffins when they're flown back to the States). I can only guess that from the media's perspective, such stories keep viewers interested in the war itself. But if that's the media's logic, they are little more than enablers; traditionally speaking, the media has always questioned the actions of the government, regardless of who's running it.
The sad thing is this who idea of "embedded reporters" was supposed to give the viewer an insight that wasn't available in past wars or conflicts. But if Pat Tillman's case is any indication, the majority of the media outlets seem incapable of getting the true stories of what's happening in Iraq. No soldier who died for his/her country deserves such treatment.
The Army originally reported that Tillman was killed in a firefight with
enemy forces in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan near the Pakistani border,
and officials heralded his heroism with a tale of how he was charging a hill
against the enemy when he was shot. Weeks later, after a nationally televised
memorial service, the Army revealed that he had been gunned down by members of
his own unit who had rounded a corner in a Humvee and mistook him and a
coalition Afghan fighter for the enemy.
When Tillman's story first came out, it was latched on to the growing number of military hero stories the media was finding; stories that injected the American people with a since of nationalistic pride which kept many from asking probing questions about the war itself.
I always found it interesting that stories of soldiers "fighting the enemy until their last breath" got more play with the media (and the Bush Administration) than any other soldier story (lack of body armor, back-to-back re-deployment, not being able to see the coffins when they're flown back to the States). I can only guess that from the media's perspective, such stories keep viewers interested in the war itself. But if that's the media's logic, they are little more than enablers; traditionally speaking, the media has always questioned the actions of the government, regardless of who's running it.
The sad thing is this who idea of "embedded reporters" was supposed to give the viewer an insight that wasn't available in past wars or conflicts. But if Pat Tillman's case is any indication, the majority of the media outlets seem incapable of getting the true stories of what's happening in Iraq. No soldier who died for his/her country deserves such treatment.
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