Rene Gonzalez, Coward, Intellectually Impaired or Just Plain Stupid?

Ok, I know I am a day late, but certainly not a dollar short. This is a subject that I have left alone too long. At the request of several readers I have decided to add my two cents on UMASS student Rene Gonzalez. I’ll bet in hindsight Rene wishes he never had his 15 minutes of fame.

Shortly after it was announced that former NFL player Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan a storm of comments appeared on the web. Everything from hero, to fallen patriot to a “"G.I. Joe" guy who got what was coming to him.” According to UMass student Rene Gonzalez. He also said, “That was not heroism, it was prophetic idiocy.” He went on to senselessly babble about the American propaganda machine and how Pat Tillman “was acting out his macho, patriotic crap”. He tried to imply that outside the US or "in his neighborhood" the view of the US is very different.

Another comment Gonzales made that stuck in my mind was, “in my neighborhood in Puerto Rico, Tillman would have been called a "pendejo," an idiot.” Well Rene, why don’t you go back to your neighborhood since obviously there is nothing for you in this land that has so ineptly educated you. Oh and by the way pendejo, we speak English and don’t care what you or your “intellectually immature” friends on the block have to say.

Another thing, Patriotic Crap? Who is this idiot to sit and denounce American patriotism? I have served proudly with some very fine people from Puerto Rico. They serve proudly in positions throughout the United States Department of Defense. I recently spent eight and a half months in the Middle East with a group of US Air Force Air National Guardsman from Puerto Rico. I will tell you this. They believed in what we we're doing there. They were also proud to serve the United States and all hoped someday that Puerto Rico would be the 51st state. Most of which were also soon to be US citizens. Are these the people that would call Tillman a "pendajo"? I think not, these are people who would mourn the loss of this unique man.

Rene wasted his time and that of those of us who read his literary garbage. He said numerous idiotic remarks in his article about fallen hero Pat Tillman and American patriotism.

Since Rene made his anti-American remarks in the opinion piece published in the UMass Daily Collegian, he has back peddled and offered an apology to the family of Pat Tillman.

Gonzales said his comments were “insensitive”. Insensitive to say the least, ignorant is more like it.

I say his apology should be just a start. Since he chose to spit on the grave of Tillman and all proud Americans who have fallen this war and all wars before he should next move on to every POW/MIA or KIA that has ever served this nation with distinction. Once he is finished apologizing to the families of Mr. Tillman’s military brethren he should return to Puerto Rico and never again return to the United States.

UMass should be ashamed to have the likes of Rene Gonzalez in their ranks. Gonzalez is nothing more than an intellectually ill-equipped, half-wit who doesn’t have the stones to do what Pat Tillman and countless others have chosen to do.

Posted by SlagleRock at May 3, 2004 09:29 PM