Taking Aim at American Sniper
“American Sniper,” the film based on the true story of Navy sniper Chris Kyle and his book of the same name, hits theaters Thursday. Kyle served with the SEAL Team 3 Sniper Element Charlie platoon and was the most lethal sniper in U.S. history. He accumulated 160 confirmed kills and another 95 probables, and was known to his enemies as Al-Shaitan Ramad (The Devil of Ramadi). Though he survived numerous harrowing encounters in Iraq, sadly, he was killed by a vet suffering from PTSD here in the States. That story is, in part, why the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence has provided a Facebook forum for anti-gun jackasses to swap spit over the movie and Kyle’s death. “Good Riddance,” jeered one. “What goes around comes around,” derided another. Chris Walker, executive director of 2nd Vote, said, “Americans’ voices don’t end on Election Day, they continue with the dollars they spend every day. The companies and groups that are financially supporting outrageous comments like these need to explain why they continue to receive their support or risk a financial backlash as consumers might choose to take their money elsewhere.” Indeed, such hateful sentiment deserves scorn of its own.
- Tags:
- Chris Kyle
- SEALs
- Navy
- American Sniper