National American Story

A colleague of mine studying and living the applied science of social engineering made a huge discovery the other night while attending his brother's birthday celebration. As he put it, "The one thing that the American culture can't do, is talk about it."

I have borrowed this Image of Pat Tillman(left) and his brother Kevin from the Internet. Photographer unidentified. Notice the Placement of the American Flag on Pat's sleeve.
Why shouldn't we? We are directly connected to it, we own it and it is ours to deal with as a Nation unwilling to face it. I do not have the same collective cultural desires as most of this country so therefor I can, need and want to talk about it.



He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep

pain that cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the

heart, and in our own despite, against our will,

comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God.

-Aeschylus, Agamemnon


I have just finished Jon Krakauer's latest book, Where Men Win Glory-The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. Of all of his amazing work that I have read this one was by far the most learning which equals some sort of internal suffering. Krakauer has the keen ability to take a subject, get to the factual quanta of it and then make the emotional transfer happen with the use of his words and literary technique. Every single one of you, that is each of you reading this post toonday should get your head wrapped around this story for your own learning which cannot be unlearned.


Up until reading this factual account of the life and death of US Army Ranger Pat Tillman I had in my mind pictured the incident of fratricide that had killed him on a hillside in Afghanistan. I had only based those thoughts on whatever the media had released after the lies were told. News, just news or is all of this really happening? I was completely wrong with my media based assumptions and am thankful that someone passed me this book last week. Krakauer frames Tillman's life and death story so well that I honestly felt changed as he died on the pages in front of me. I mourned the death of Pat Tillman Wednesday even though he died on April 22, 2004 and I did not feel anything then, 5 years ago. The author also has the ability with his application of the truth to give you the bigger picture as well. The real American Energy crisis is brought to light. I have read some powerful books lately but this one is over the top and has yet again brought my learning to a new level. With that comes the pain referred to in Aeschylus' statement. I cannot look at it the same anymore, a reoccurring theme in my life ever since I started to face it instead of looking away as I had done my entire life up until that point. As hard as it was for me to take that first step of looking in, I can not imagine living and dying any other way.