From this article
You can imagine the scene: a well publicized funeral featuring a NFL star turned soldier. Flags everywhere, lots of “true-American-hero”, “with God in heaven now” talk.
Then this happened:
Tillman’s youngest brother, Rich, wore a rumpled white T-shirt, no jacket, no tie, no collar, and immediately swore into the microphone. He hadn’t written anything, he said, and with the starkest honesty, he asked mourners to hold their spiritual bromides.
“Pat isn’t with God,” he said. “He’s fucking dead. He wasn’t religious. So thank you for your thoughts, but he’s fucking dead.”
Awkward…
Seriously though – I can imagine his brother sitting there seething at all these people attempting to make what is a horrific personal event for his family into a circus. I find it odd that this Tillman story has seemed to fill people with a kind of proud, war hero mentality that makes them feel almost better about war rather than dealing with death directly? Am I wrong on this?
What is sad is Pat’s true beliefs, probably known by his family and close friends, will never be known as his memory is consumed and contorted by the right wing religious machine.