A Real American Hero

The late CPO Chris Kyle once said, ~It was my duty to shoot the enemy, and I don't regret it. My regrets are for the people I couldn't save: Marines, soldiers, buddies. I'm not naïve, and I don't romanticize war. The worst moments of my life have come as a SEAL. BUT I can stand before God with a clear conscience about doing my job.~ Without a doubt, the movie American Sniper is a very impactful and powerful depiction indeed resonating with many the inner mental and emotional turmoil of a military veteran considered to be a legend in his field of expertise Chris Kyle. For its most definitely a deeply personal, realistic portrayal of someone who has been through hell and back both literally, as well as metaphorically. Yet, through it all he served his country proudly with duty, honor, loyalty and code.

Let me ask you this question to those who watched the movie American Sniper, did you see Bradley Cooper's portrayal of a man who struggled in the duality of keeping two separate worlds from in all intents and purposes colliding with each other like I did? Thinking about it further, it was seemingly easy for him to basically compartmentalize his life as a trained soldier in the battlefield versus his life as a married man with family. In a way, it's like flipping a light switch evident by how it can be clearly seen in his eyes, which were considerably the main focus dealing with all that he's seen and done through the scope of a sniper rifle. Essentially, it's because of what he saw and did that it left him with deep psychological ramifications that would unfortunately spill over into his family life.

As I said before, Cooper struggled in the duality of keeping two separate worlds from colliding with each other to the point where it left him with deep psychological ramifications that haunted him. It's a sad state of affairs for Kyle or any of his fellow soldiers for that matter to find yourself in the mental prison of your own mind inevitably affecting you in such an emotional way. Oftentimes the feeling of being isolated within yourself can truly push an individual to the brink of absolute insanity. True, even though being surrounded by the people who love/care about you wanting to help bring you back home in every sense of the word they don't know tremendous torture going on inside causing unfortunate strife in the relationship.

For the question can be asked, in your opinion does the movie glorify killing or does it in fact show what a soldier must do at all cost in order to keep his brothers alive? My answer is the latter because quite frankly it shows how much of a sacrifice it is in making the right choices all for the greater good. Of course, the greater good means taking out a young child and/or woman who is brainwashed into sacrificing their own life to kill soldiers. Unfortunately, there are certain people who don't see it that way like filmmaker Michael Moore who deemed Kyle and other snipers cowards due to his own uncle being killed by one in WWII. Let me tell you something, his comment has infuriated countless people including myself because it's guys like Chris Kyle who have provided this douche with the freedom of free speech knowing full well he hasn't been relevant in quite some time.

"Taya Kyle said, ~I feel like this is what it’s all about. It’s about the heart of the men and women who serve and have served – and their families. I hope people understand they really are signing up for something that not many of us would. That takes an incredible amount of heart." In retrospect, it is not until you're actually in the boots of every soldier on the ground or in this particular case looking through the scope of a sniper rifle the mindset of whether or not to pull the trigger. What it primarily comes down to is showing respect where respect is deserved. In the end, Chris Kyle is a real American hero and will forever be remembered along with his brothers/sisters of the armed forces who put their lives on the line being the good guys who fight the bad guys to provide us with freedoms that tend to be taken for granted at times or in some cases sadly misused for their own twisted gain.