You know, John Kerry and Pat Tillman have a lot in common.

[VolcanoJen]

Please indulge me this rant.

It might make some of us here uncomfortable, and it certainly will make the Republican leadership uncomfortable, not to mention DU lurkers who have been waiting on eggshells for us to try to turn this into a political issue.

I've been thinking about Pat Tillman all day long, and yes, I've shed many tears over his passing. His story has touched me since the first time I heard it, when he first enlisted, and I've often pondered and wondered about the fate of him, and his brother. Not much was made of their service after it happened, and I took that as a "no news, good news" signal. I was heartbroken when the news of his death greeted me, along with my New York Times, bearing photos of flag-draped coffins on its front page.

Republicans will surely seize Tillman's tragic passing as a call to arms, a signal to America that real patriots serve. Our message is the same. When called upon, leaders ache to serve, and they march to battle. Just like Pat Tillman, and just like John Kerry, in his day.

John Kerry didn't need to volunteer for Vietnam service. He sacrificed his young adult life of privilege and relaxed, detached affluence. His choices were not unlike those of Pat Tillman. When your time comes, and your country calls upon you, some answer, while the rest twist and sway in the wind, forcing policy and false notions of patriotism upon the rest of us.

Pat Tillman's death touched me, and as I've said before, if I were a school kid, I'd hang his photo in my locker. He's an example of what we should aspire to be, what a real role model looks like, what sacrifice entails and honestly looks like. He was not unlike John Kerry in his time. He was not unlike many other privileged gentlemen who made the choice of country before comfort, for decades. For decades more, this pattern repeated, before Pat Tillman heard the calling.

Please pay respect to Tillman's sacrifice, outside of what the media is calling for. Please reach into your hearts and understand that Tillman did not ask for this, and in fact, rejected it, by enlisting in the United States Army like many of our sons and daughters. Criticize the media, but avoid criticizing Tillman's choice. A simple cross in a field of grass and dandelions, next to his fallen brothers and sisters, is likely what he would have wanted.

And the next time one of your Republican buddies fawns over all that Tillman represents, remind them of a young John Kerry, who made a similar choice between privilege and service, in a different time, in a different war.

Rest in peace, Pat Tillman. My only hope is that your message never rests. We all have much to learn from it.