Pat Tillman

“Heroes don't go for the perishable trophies - they go for the imperishable trophies. Their rules and their goals are different” (Harper). In the article, “How Should We Chose our Heroes?”, Charles Harper depicts that true heroes don’t chase after fame or treasures. Society views heroes as people with wealth and fame. They see the rich as gods and the poor and inhumane. That way of thinking is inaccurate, a true hero works for the betterment of society. Heroism doesn’t mean having to be giving up one’s life to make society better. It can be as simple as a mom taking care of three kids, a dad who works all day to provide for the family, a student who stands up to a bully and faces adversity, head on! These simple acts are heroic.  Heroes are self made, they aren't programmed like cyborgs to save people. They assist people out of the kindness of their heart, a hero is needed to ensure that society becomes molded into a diamond. A society without heroes is like coal, filled with darkness, symbolizing injustice. On the contrary, a society filled with heroes is like a diamond, shining bright with kindness. To transform society into a diamond, a hero must contain vital traits. They must be selfless, putting other people's needs before their own.  Like soldiers risking their lives for the well being of the people. Or a young man choosing to sell all his possessions to save his daughter’s life. Another characteristic they must possess is courage. They must be able to stand up to their beliefs, no matter the consequence. An example is, Rosa Parks who believed the black people were equal to white people and didn’t give up her seat.

Pat Tillman was born on November 6, 1976, in Fremont California.  At a young age, he was interested in is football and excelled. In High school, Pat Tillman had a GPA of 3.84 and despite his size, he was a football star and was drafted by the Cardinals, after playing for ASU. As a football player, he had fame and wealth, the two most important desires of humans. Being a football player is like living in heaven. No one would want to descend from heaven to live on Earth. “The median salary for all NFL players is $860,000” (Woodruff). This illustrates that football players attained a lot of wealth. As he reached the pinnacle of his career, he decided to leave his fame and money and serve in the military. He saw the terrible event of 9/11, and this event ignited his patriotism. Stationed in Afghanistan, near the village of Sperah, he died a gruesome death in April 2004,  by his own men, who mistook him an enemy. To be deemed a hero, one must possess selflessness. One must be able to put aside his needs to make other people’s lives better. They must also be able to stand firm to their beliefs and endure the pains of their kindness. Not Only did Pat Tillman give up his needs for the wellbeing of the people but he also stands true to his morals and doesn’t let anything budge his beliefs, making him a hero.

A Picture of Tillman in Honor of his Footballhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pat_Tillman_Statue_2.jpgRather than using his talents to attain wealth, Pat Tillman sacrificed his personal needs, to benefit others. When the tragic event of 9/11 occurred, Pat Tillman made a decision that forever altered his life:  “He finished the rest of the season with the Cardinals, married his high school sweetheart, Marie Ugenti, and subsequently enlisted in the Army Rangers with his brother” (Pat Tillman). Pat Tillman is a football player, he made a round 800K, he had  of luxury cars, beautiful home, and endless vacations abroad. Like being rich is living in heaven. No one would want to descend from heaven to live on Earth, besides Pat Tillman. By quitting football, he was willing to give up all that luxury, his own personal need,  for the sake of the people. A soldier's life has a grave risk to it, they have a chance of death. Imagine the newly married wife, mourning, as she thought that Tillman would spend the rest of her life with Pat Tillman. Tillman was ready to face death, so that the people of America, could enjoy their natural rights and never let  9/11 repeat itself. A great man once said,  And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”(John F.Kennedy ). This is the way, a true hero thinks. Pat Tillman is not selfish, he does not want something from America, he desires to give back to the soil he calls home. He never thinks about himself for a single second, and strives to benefit America, making his a deserving hero! Pat Tillman was given a very tempting offer in his NFL career, an offer that would double his current net worth: “Though Arizona's next three years were losing seasons, Tillman remained loyal, rejecting a $9 million offer from the St. Louis Rams” (“Pat Tillman”). Pat Tillman’s team was losing its fame, they were not a successful as before. An athlete aspires to be on a team that does well, so that their fame would increase. Pat Tillman’s luck could not of gotten any better. Like finding an oasis in the warm desert, Pat Tillman received a whopping nine million dollar contract. 9 million dollars was almost nine times the average salary,  However; Pat Tillman refused! This illustrates his morals and the simple fact he's not selfish. A selfish person, would gladly take the money and dump his team and be happy that his bank account is became a six digit figure. Tillman on the contrary, throws the money away and remains loyal to his team. Tillman’s personal need is the money. However; he can say “No!” to the money for something greater than himself, his team. Pat Tillman knows that he was needed on the team, and sacrifices his well being, so that the team can benefit. His action demonstrates that money should never take hold of oneself, this inspires people not to be slaves of money and to be overall selfless, thus making Tillman a hero. Not even for a second does Pat Tillman worry about his needs, he looks at the bigger picture, and puts materialistic things aside, so the team will benefit. This depicts that Tillman doesn't aspire to get perishable trophies, like money. From giving up his career to saying no to money, Pat Tillman exhibits the epitome of selflessness, as he strives every second in his life to make the world better, even if it has to sacrifice his needs, he works for the greater good, like a true hero.

Pat Tillman when he joined the armyhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corporal_Patrick_Tillman.jpg Pat Tillman exhibited true courage,  as he stood firm to his beliefs and was willing to endure the ramifications for his action.  Standing up to a school bully, may have been the dreams of many kids, most of them don’t make the dream, a reality, as they lack the courage to stand up to bullies,  Pat Tillman overcame that daunting experience: “He also had a reputation for sticking up for classmates who were being bullied” (Khiggins). Being an upstander is a difficult task.. According to a government website on bullying, the number of witnesses is stunning; “62% witnessed bullying two or more times in the last month”(Facts About Bullying). This illustrates that many people  However; this mentality is not seen in Tillman. His action depicts that he believes that people don’t intervene, they are often too scared to advocate their beliefs, because they are afraid the physical pain. Tillman believes all people are people, and that everyone is equal, and should receive utmost care and respect. He knew the dangers of standing up for his classmates, he could have gotten hurt physically. However; he still stuck up for his classmates because his belief is stronger and more important than a drop blood. These actions deem him worthy of the nomenclature, hero! Corporal Tillman was stationed in Afghanistan, a very dangerous place, as he and his companions were on a voyage, they stumbled upon something inauspicious:  “On patrol in eastern Afghanistan at dusk on April 22, 2004, Tillman and his men hit the dirt, trying to escape swarms of artillery fire coming from the valley below. Tillman detonated a smoke bomb, hoping to signal to his comrades that they were shooting at U.S. troops” (Shapiro).  Pat Tillman and his company were stuck in a tight situation. The author uses powerful diction, to depict the situation. When he says, “Swarms of artillery fire” this illustrates that they were getting shot rapidly and they had no chance to counter attack. Tillman and his companion realized that they were Americans. At this moment, he had two options, he could of did something in an attempt to save their life, or stay put like a rock statue, and wait for a miracle from heaven.  As seen before, Tillman valued people, he didn’t want anything to happen to him or his companion. He decided to detonate a smoke grenade. Although it was risky, there was a slight chance the people would realize that they were American soldiers. This action cost Pat Tillman his life. He gave it his all to save his comrades and in the process, lost his life. Even till his last breath, he was courageous, his stood firm to his belief and fought for it, till the very end, declaring to the world, the epitome of heroism.

Pat Tillaman's Momorial Run https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pat_Tillman_Memorial_Run_DVIDS272188.jpg Like Buddha, leaving his palace of luxury, to seek out nirvana. Like Jesus, leaving the luxury of heaven, to descend upon Earth, to help people. Tillman gave up his materialistic wealth to help humanity become a diamond. This illustrates how great Tillman is! Till the very end he stuck to his moral; that everyone deserves equality, as he stood up to the discrimination that was present is his school. Finally, even till his last breath, he aspired to save people, Like Pat Tillman, I too want to make a change in our society. Every time I look at the life of Pat Tillman, it inspires me to fight along my brothers in the military, in order to make America enjoy life, liberty, and property, the natural rights, highlighted by John Locke.  His life also inspires me to be an upstander and bring change to the world. I too, like the general population, I too was a bystander like many others. Tillman’s story inspires me to stand up, and let my voice be heard. In a website, it stated, “However, Pat’s NFL success did not go to his head. He drove to games in the same beat-up truck he had in college” (Pat Tillman). This shows us how humble Pat Tillman is, I also strive to be as humble as him. Tillman didn’t invent the wheel or make a breakthrough, he simply taught us how to be a human. After reading his story, my faith in humanity increased. If Pat Tillman can be that selfless, so can the rest of the world. Imagine a world filled with Pat Tillman's, it would truly be heaven on Earth. All in all, without a hero, our world will be as dark as a piece of coal. In conclusion, a true hero like Pat Tillman doesn’t strive for fame or wealth, they strive for imperishable trophies, such as respect.

Works Cited

“Facts About Bullying.” StopBullying.gov, www.stopbullying.gov/media/facts/index.html#stats.

Khiggins. “Pat Tillman and Self-Sacrifice: A Different Direction.” Bill of Rights Institute, 8 Nov. 2017, billofrightsinstitute.org/pat-tillman-self-sacrifice-different-direction/.

John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address. U.S. Inaugural Addresses. 1989, www.bartleby.com/124/pres56.html.

“News & Culture | Pat Tillman.” Metroactive, www.metroactive.com/metro/05.23.07/pat-tillman-0721.html.

"Pat Tillman." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2004. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650004135/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=6f380871. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.

Woodruff, Jim. “How Much Money Does an NFL Player Make a Year?” Chron.com, 1 July 2018, work.chron.com/much-money-nfl-player-make-year-2377.html.