Reilly is funny, smart, creative and a great writer.
I love the stuff he turns up. Even more, I love his take on almost any subject he addresses.
What follows is a column from the February 5, 2007 issue of SI.
It seems just right for this particular July 4th, a day that for me this year is a time of serious reflection and questioning.
As you will see, his subject matter here is extremely serious.But you know, it is long past time for us to pay serious attention.
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You up for a challenge?I'm going to tell you about five young Americans at the peak of their athletic lives. Your job is to guess how all five lives came together in the past month.
One. As usual, Elizabeth Loncki is acting very unladylike, just the way she likes it. It's 2001, she's 18 and she's challenging her dad to a push-up contest. He just did 50, but now Elizabeth is hitting 51.
He could've done 100, and she would've done 101. That's how she is. A 5'5" Energizer Bunny, she's the furnace that heats the volleyball team at Padua Academy in Wilmington, Del. She's the darling of the weight room wherever she works out, spotting guys twice her size.
She also reads to shut-ins and runs errands for seniors. And seems like twice a week, she'll get up early so she can get balloons for somebody at school. Just don't try calling her "sweet."
Two. Brian (Cap'n) Freeman is about to become one of the best in the world at something he never thought he'd even try -- bobsledding.
A burly brakeman from the virtually snowless town of Temecula, Calif., Freeman digs in, grunts and pushes the U.S. to a bronze medal at the 2002 America's Cup in Lake Placid, N.Y. But Freeman isn't just the piston for his sled team, he's also the soul of it -- willing to push for drivers other than his own, just to give them a chance to develop with a few more runs.
"A total team guy," says Steven Holcomb, the current World Cup bobsled points leader. "I wouldn't be where I am today without Brian."
Three. If you'd been there when Shawn Falter was a toddler, with those massive braces on both legs, you wouldn't believe what you're seeing now, as the senior leads his 1998-99 Homer (N.Y.) High basketball team. No longer pigeon-toed, he's blocking shots, rebounding like a man on a caffeine drip, scoring when it's needed and setting up teammates the rest of the time.
That's nothing. You should see him on the football field, scoring TDs at tight end and trying to decapitate receivers at safety. And all while being skinnier than a one-iron.
"All heart," marvels Jeff Tabel, who was his hoops coach. "Born to lead."
Four. Luis Castillo isn't just a good wrestler, he's the captain of the 2003-04 team at Mattawan (Mich.) High. Wait! He's not just the captain, he's the winner of the team's leadership award.
And wrestling is only where it starts. He's a break-dancing, bungee-jumping, joke-telling machine in a crew cut. "The all-American kid," the grown-ups call him. And it makes you wonder: How many people know he was born in Mexico?
Five. It's 2000, and 17-year-old Jason Corbett takes his mark at the ancient Panathenaic Stadium in Athens. The timer is ready and -- bang! -- Corbett's off. Of course, there's no official time for his run because there's nobody in the stands and it's his buddy holding the watch.
He's not in a track meet, he's on a trip with some Casper, Wyo., high school classmates. But, hey, that's not going to stop Corbett from running or having a good time. Nothing stops Corbett. He swallows life whole -- track, snowboarding, fly-fishing and hunting. The kid has all the warning signs of a thrillaholic and loves anything to do with the outdoors. Maybe that's why he ended up in the only place big enough for him: Alaska.
So what do these five athletes have in common? They were all killed in Iraq during a two-week period in January.
Air Force Senior Airman Loncki, 23, was killed by a car bomb near Al-Mahmudiyah.
Army Captain Freeman, 31, was killed by insurgents disguised as American soldiers in Karbala.
Army Private First Class Falter, 25, died as a result of that same ambush.
Marine Lance Corporal Castillo, 20, died from wounds suffered while on patrol in Al Anbar province.
Army Specialist Corbett, 23, died of injuries from small-arms fire suffered while on patrol in Karmah.
Five athletes.
Five futures.
All gone.
Five of 84 Americans killed from New Year's Day through Sunday. Five of 3,084 Americans killed since the war began.
Athletes love teams, and when they run out of sports teams they sometimes join bigger teams, ones with Humvees for huddles and tombstones for trophies and coaches they've never met sending them into a hell they never imagined.
And they throw their whole selves into it anyway, because they are brave and disciplined and will chew through concrete to win the game.
But what if the game can't be won?
9 comments:
Thanks, Larry. It is a sobering article. These lives ... every one ... are precious. Can we ever appreciate enough those who fight for the freedoms we continue to enjoy? Have a good Independence Day.
Its fitting that you posted this on independence day, seeing as this war has absolutely nothing to do with fighting for our freedoms, but fighting for a neocon agenda that can never be realized.
Democracy cannot be spread through a barrel of a gun. It should be spread by example.
Just the same as Christians can't force people to be moral... our example... or our being disciples, is what leads others into discipleship.
I don't think freedom, as we know it, will last much longer unless circumstances change. Europe is already semi-Islamic, and will be more so within a generation. The Muslim birthrate is booming and the native population is not even replenishing itself. Six years ago if one had said that whether something does or does not offend the Muslims would be a primary concern, would would have said you were crazy. I recommend the book, "America Alone." by Mark Steyn.
America need not be "alone" in this world, given what all is going on and what all is needed. Diplomacy, aid and a commitment to economic justice worldwide would position our nation well for generations. Somehow though, we find it very difficult to be humble and to exercise servant leadership as the strongest nation in the world. We have not handled our power, our blessings or our honor very well, especially in the last three decades.
The vast majority of Islamic terrorists in Europe are on welfare with nothing to do but sit around plotting the jihad all day at taxpayers expense. Perhaps they have too much aid.
Chris - why don't you start quoting statistics on all of the absurd comments you make. It would certainly make you less obnoxious and give people some actual arguments to respond to.
Welfare, Chris? Like the two doctors who plotted the recent attacks in London? Increasingly, terrorists are recruited from the middle/ upper, well-educated 'classes.'
Sometimes, Chris -- no offense -- you sound just a liiiiiiiiiitle bit like a broken record. Do you ever read from or listen to any source whatsoever other than those who share your views?
Well known welfare terrorists:
Muhammed Metin Kaplan
Ahmed Ressam
Abdul Nacer Benbrika
Abu Hamza
Abu Qatada
The 4 suspected July 21 London bombers are alleged to have collected more than 500,000 lbs. in benefit paymenta in Britan.
Just google the name plus the word welfare for further discussion.
We all know Europe is a welfare state so it should come as no surprise that a large number if immigrant Muslims are on welfare. For example, Denmark is 5% Muslim and receives 40% of welfare payments.
Wow, Chris, the names of 5 'welfare terrorists.' That proves your point, for sure, as there are, what, hundreds of thousands of terrorists in the world?
Did you hear the news report today that we, in the good old U.S.A. -- the New World, away from the European 'welfare state' -- are growing our own thriving crop of terrorists, right on good old American soil? Oh, wait, that's probably a fabrication of the Liberal Media.
Bet you're a big ole advocate of President Bush's dazzlingly successful War on Terror, being fought on Iraqi soil. Oh, wait, let's ignore the fact that Al Quaeda wasn't in Iraq before the war. And let's pretend that terrorist incidents around the world haven't increased greatly since the so-called War on Terror began.
Did you know that your tax dollars are paying extremely high salaries to private contractors in Iraq who are executing the war and outnumber American troups, in order to pretend to save on military expenditures? Who do you think the people who run the corporations who employ these contractors are friends with? Anyone you might have voted for?
Oh, and, by the way, these contractors operate in a no-man's land between the laws of the various countries that they may/ may not represent. One got drunk recently and killed an Iraqi civilian, but he can't be proscecuted because no one knows what country's laws to charge him under. But that doesn't matter much, does it, because it was 'only' an Iraqi he murdered.
Here's what I think: any piece of information, no matter how factual, that doesn't fit in your particular world view just doesn't exist for you.
I repeat my question: Do you ever read from or listen to any source whatsoever other than those who share your views?
You're probably a smart person, Chris. If you open your mind just a sliver and let in the teensiest amount of reality, who knows what a positive force you might become.
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