American Sniper and a Hero's Controversy

The recently released film, "American Sniper", has stirred up a lot of controversy lately. By pulling in over $200 million dollars domestically in theaters, the story and legend of US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle has been brought to the forefront of all of our minds. And undoubtedly, the debate has been brought up, "Is this man a hero?" People like Jesse Ventura don't believe so. But he's not the only one. People everywhere are questioning the morality of Kyle's status as the most deadly sniper in US military history. People have seen the movie and his book as a way to brag about the number of people he's killed, or as a way to portray his racist feelings towards to muslim population in the Middle East. Yet on the contrary to those beliefs, there are still many people who view this man as a national hero. In Texas, Kyle's home state, there are even talks about making a "Chris Kyle Day", to honor the legendary sniper. 

I personally see the man as a hero. Being from a military family, I of course have my biases. I tend to believe that anyone who can sacrifice their life for the protection of my freedoms deserves my respect. Chris Kyle was one of those "fundamentally American" people, where he wholeheartedly believed in the American dream and everything this country was founded upon. When asked about his kill count, he said he didn't think about it too much. What kept him up at night, though, was the thought that he couldn't save everyone: that he could have done more to save more American lives. The hatred and violence he saw in Iraq disturbed him to his very core. He realized that if hatred like that is allowed to breathe and grow without any action, it will undoubtedly reach our shores. If you would like to read more about Chris Kyle and his story, check out these websites: Chris Kyle, Former Nav SEAL, Dies at 38 and Jesse Ventura Says 'American Sniper' is No Hero