Last Wednesday, Gonzalez’ editorial, “Pat Tillman is not a hero: He got what was coming to him,” outraged thousands (if not millions) of people, and the graduate student was sternly chastised by UMass president, Jack Wilson, who said the piece was "a disgusting, arrogant and intellectually immature attack on a human being who died in service to his country."

In the piece, Gonzalez calls the former NFL star an “idiot” for passing up a contact worth over three million dollars a year to fight (and lose his life) with the Army Rangers in Iraq. Gonzalez takes offense with U.S. involvement in Iraq, and shakily argues that “Tillman got himself killed in a country other than his own without having been forced to go over to that country to kill its people.” He says “Tillman, probably acting out his nationalist-patriotic fantasies forged in years of exposure to Clint Eastwood and Rambo movies, decided to insert himself into a conflict he didn't need to insert himself into.”

Among Gonzalez’ other comments:
-“This was a ‘G.I. Joe’ guy who got what was coming to him. That was not heroism, it was prophetic idiocy.”
-“He was acting out his macho, patriotic crap and I guess someone with a bigger gun did him in.”
-“He shouldn't be hailed as a hero, he should be used as a poster boy for the dangerous consequences of too much ‘America is #1,’ frat boy, propaganda bull.”

In a sick way, Gonzalez did the American people a public service. He is a victim of timing. Gonzalez is being singled out not only because of the viciousness of his message, but because the target of his shrill bile was a famous football player. Had Pat Tillman not died, Gonzalez wouldn’t have written the piece, and the American public might not have been exposed to the true feelings of a small but hateful segment of our society.

From now until eternity -- and without regard for truth, relevance, cause, or outcome -- all wars the U.S. finds itself involved in will be compared to Vietnam. And because many who teach in our universities are direct products of that “Golden Age of Protest,” their arrogantly elitist and insulated views and teachings have been -- and will continue to be -- implanted in the hearts and minds of our young people. In this mindset, no war is ever justified and nationalistic pride is ridiculed as “close-minded” ignorance devoid of “reason and logic.” Gonzalez is a direct product of this system of thought, and his rhetoric shows. Under his warped logic, the only people who deserve to live are those who agree with him.

But Gonzalez is not a lone voice. Many of his fellow collegians across the country are only a few beers away from parroting the same ugliness as Gonzalez did. Many college students are bred to distrust everything and trained to use the First Amendment to endlessly attack the country that gives them the right to attack it in the first place. Even the editors at The Daily Collegian didn’t see enough wrong with his piece not to print it.

Is our country above criticism? No. Are many of our leaders corrupt? Yes. Do we have a right to question our country’s actions? Yes. Did Rene Gonzalez have a right to write what he wrote? Yes. Should he have done it? No.

That’s the bottom line: Regardless of your position on anything, if your words are so vile that your message is instantly rejected, are you doing yourself or your cause any good?

Even Gonzalez’ “oops, I got caught” apology was written in a condescending manner. He couldn’t just let it go at “I’m sorry.”

“I did learn one lesson, though: there is freedom of speech in this country, but not much toleration for its expression. Freedom of speech exists only for those that parrot the ‘party line.’ For those that even peep a dissent, only scorn is awaiting them.”

Contrary to these words, freedom of speech exists for everyone, not just him, and the scorn he’s received is just. If by “toleration” he means that the object of his venom is just going to shut up and take it, then he, himself, is an idiot.

As if he was helping matters, he finished his apology by continuing his argument: “I cannot support troops that have dishonored themselves by serving in a dishonorable war, and much less consider them heroes.”

It’s a good thing that these soldiers didn’t stop to honor Mr. Gonzalez’ type of hate before they got killed trying to spread the kind of freedom that he uses to spew it.