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That Annoying Absence of Faith: The Pat Tillman Investigation Gets Even Stranger

Mike Fish at ESPN is doing some great follow-up on the investigation into Pat Tillman's death in Afghanistan.  We've openly speculated about the possibility that Tillman was deliberately fragged due to his non-traditional political views and opposition to the war in Iraq.  The circumstances as presented by the Amy seem plausible enough, but the stench of coverup just grows fouler.

And then you get a taste for what kind of men were in command of Tillman's life and it just reinforces any suspicion that Tillman's death is far more murky than what we've been led to believe.  Tillman was an atheist, and so is his family.  This fact is being used as a convenient tool of obfuscation.  Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, the regiment Ranger executive officer in Afghanistan can barely contain his disgust for the Tillman family's lack of Christianity and it's difficult to imagine that his prejudice hasn't either tainted the investigation, or possibly contributed to Tillman's murder.

"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."

These are the types of idiots running this investigation and, for that matter, running our military.  Never forget that faith is the shield of tyrants.

To even further complicate this investigation, all individuals associated with Tillman's death have been sworn to secrecy under a confidentiality agreement allegedly required of Rangers.  The Army has ensured that there can be no independent investigation into Pat Tillman's death.

So again, we raise the question: was Pat Tillman deliberately murdered?  If not, why did the Army lie about the circumstances surrounding his death?  Why did they destroy all physical evidence, including Tillman's extensive war diary?  Why did Lt. Col. Kauzlarich, among others, recommend that Tillman receive a Silver Star for getting killed by his own troops?  And why is Kauzlarich so annoyed that this atheist family won't just let it go, like any good Christian family would?  What does this motherfucker have to hide?

Not All CEO's Go To Heaven

The press is reporting that former Enron CEO Ken Lay just died of a massive coronary.  We mourn all deaths, but are reluctant to celebrate all lives.  And Kenny Boy's life was certainly not one worth celebrating.

Ken had been awaiting sentencing for the many crimes he committed as the CEO of a company whose great contribution to the world was the rigging of trade markets.

We are nothing if not cynical, so let's be the first to say that this death seems awfully convenient.  Lay has avoided the prospect of becoming his cellmate's special somebody, and now there is little hope of ever recouping the untold millions which he ripped off.  Also, Lay's family will survive quite handsomely.  Lay transferred much of his tainted wealth into annuities and life insurance--which are specifically immune from civil and criminal legal action in Texas.  The annuities are expected to generate about an annual million dollar income for the Lay family next year.  The life insurance... well, that's likely to be a very sweet payoff.  And, let's be honest, this "death" has helped Ken Lay's good buddy George Bush dodge an inevitable and awkward pardon.

Forgive our suspicions, but has anyone actually seen the body?  We noticed that the Lay family chose church members to make the announcement--undoubtedly anticipating credibility issues. We've also noticed that Lay's behavior hardly pegged him as much of Methodist, let alone a Christian. How hard would it be for someone as obscenely wealthy as Ken Lay to fake his own death?  Having personally greased many a politician over his lifetime, Lay made a lot of friends in high places.  As Kenny Boy knew, in America money can make your wildest dreams, and most outrageous crimes, come true.

There's also the possibility that he really is dead, and perhaps his death was orchestrated to avoid spending the rest of his life biting pillows as prison gangs reaped his assets.  How convenient, that such a well-timed death occurred under terms that would make his massive life insurance policy fully payable and will possibly scuttle future judgments against his estate.

So, do we issue a solemn rest in peace or the advisory don't forget the suntan lotion down in Belize?  Either way, he's headed for a warm climate.