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Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                        Robyn Morrow             Chris Elliott                        
                                               John Arterbury       Caitlin Cuppernull

Hearing for Tillman is in order

On Tuesday's edition of the Dan Patrick show on ESPN radio Mary Tillman, mother of Pat Tillman the former Arizona Cardinal safety who was slain in Afghanistan, made it clear that procedures taken and the information given by the military following her son's death were unacceptable. 

The story made national headlines. A patriotic man, who turned from millions of dollars and a career in the NFL to defend his country, was killed in the line of duty — enemy fire.

It was the ultimate inspirational story. That however, has long since gone by the wayside. The military revealed later that Pat Tillman had been killed friendly fire, shot three times in the head by one of the members of his own platoon. That reality does not have as much of a ring to it. 

It does not inspire the same amount as civic duty as the military's first explanation for Pat Tillman's death, and according to Mary Tillman that was the military's motive behind concealing the truth in the first place.

She attended a hearing Monday and sat through a presentation, in which the military elaborated on the details of her son's death and the investigation. She said that it became clear to her that the military was lying and omitted valuable information.

The military said Pat Tillman's platoon broke no rules of engagement, however Mary Tillman said the soldier believed to have shot her son told investigators he had not positively identified the target before firing his weapon. That was breaking the rules of engagement at the time, she said.

If that's the case, and the military used Pat Tillman's to death to cover up its own negligence and gain support for the war, the Congressional hearing she's called for is well deserved.

She has every right in wanting to know how her son was really killed under what circumstances. Death is a harsh reality of war and should be expected, but matters concerning fatalities are nothing to play around with — especially for personal gain.