I sent him a couple emails when that broke...
1) It's a given that people will attach faces to events as a reminder and a singular reference for their own feelings on the situation.
It's also inevitable that attention-****** like yourself will exploit this fact.
2) Trivializing an entire country by classifying it as "seventh rate" is ironic given your up-bringing in Puerto Rico and subsequent relocation to the U.S.
3) "I could tell he was that type of macho guy, from his scowling, beefy face on the CNN pictures." That rings of a well-researched article. Fine job.
And after he responded...
This response doesn't really help to defend a poorly written and poorly researched article.
Your particular problem is your use of sweeping generalizations. Proclaiming that American society blindly accepts all soldiers as heros is tantamount to proclaiming that the Puerto Rican national pastime is robbing American taxpayers via fraudulent claims to FEMA every time there's a flood or a landslide.
"I mean no disrespect to the family of Patrick Tillman, and I would be very distraught to learn they were hurt by my comments."
This statement is as patronizing as it is blantantly artificial in its sincerity.
