The cartoon ran on the Opinion page in Tuesday's edition. It was of a young boy, looking up to his father, holding a football jersey in one hand and a military jacket in the other. Both items had the name Tillman printed on them. The child was asking, "Which should I wear today? My hero's home uniform, or his away?"

The Tillman reference was to Pat Tillman, the former professional football player who stopped a career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002 to serve his country. He was killed in Afghanistan a little over a week ago.

I asked the gentleman exactly what offended him about the cartoon, and angrily he said it was an insult to our armed forces. I told him we took the meaning as quite the opposite and as a salute to the courage of Tillman and others. I added that we had no intention of insulting, but rather saluting our armed forces. The gentleman slammed down the phone.

At the University of Massachusetts, a controversy is raging over an editorial column in the student newspaper by a graduate student who criticized Tillman, calling him a "Rambo-like idiot... who got what he deserved." The column has received the ire of students, the public and the condemnation of the university's president.

The day Tillman was killed was also the day controversy was raging about the Pentagon's policy not to allow photos of flag-draped coffins being unloaded from transport airplanes at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

The circumstances surrounding Tillman's death seemed to neutralize anti-war criticism and bring the nation back to the reality of the price of freedom.

You see, Pat Tillman gave up a multi-million dollar professional football contract to serve his county. Following the Sept. 11, 2001 attack, he felt the obligation to stand up for this country and protect the freedoms we all enjoy. He quit pro football and signed up as an Army ranger.

Of course, Tillman is not the only soldier who has given up a career. While maybe not as financially lucrative, every one of our soldiers have given up something that was just as important. Each one is a volunteer, and each one believes in the importance of standing up for our freedoms. Unfortunately, like Tillman, many have made the ultimate sacrifice, and many more will forever bear the scares.

I can only guess that the real objection the gentleman had to Tuesday's political cartoon was that maybe he felt others who have died need to receive the same recognition.

I would have to agree, Tillman's death is no more important that any other death. What is important is that he is becoming a symbol for all the others who also have sacrificed careers and left families in the name of service to our country.

In a country in desperate need of heroes, Tillman and all those like him fill that void. As this war against terror rages, there will be many more Pat Tillmans. Each understands that the price is what it takes to insure the rest of us are safe here at home.

It is through symbols such as Corp. Pat Tillman that others are motivated.

May God bless Tillman and all our armed forces. They are the heroes the young fellow in the cartoon was saluting, as were we.



Write to Bill Jacobs at P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, Miss. 39602, or send e-mail to bjacobs@dailyleader.com.