This is only  the second film we have seen since our return to India.  The first was PK, an Indian film, and today we went to see “American Sniper.”  A couple of the students went with us, but the others were either not interested in a war film or were busy with their work.

The opening  weekend of Clint Eastwood’s directed  release, the take was 90.2 million.  It remains popular with audiences and critics  alike, though there has been some criticism of Chris Kyle’s language about the Iraqi enemy.  The film fared well in being nominated for 6 Oscar awards including Best Picture.

Chris Kyle believed in God, Country, and Family  and these were his  life priorities. He was a trained Navy Seal who earned the names, “The Most Prolific American Sniper” and “The Legend”  with is record of 160 kills. He became a hero throughout all the branches of service.   He served four missions in Iraq, sacrificing much time with his own family and children in order to serve our country and to protect his buddies with his amazing gift of  shooting. He saved many lives of his comrades with his talented marksmanship and his deadly precision.

I am not going to debate the necessity or legality of the war, many have and there are understandable  differences that will not be resolved here.  I would like to point out that the soldiers on both sides were fighting for their faith and their God.  So many wars have been fought over differences in faith.  How I wish we could affirm the positive aspects of faith and not kill in the name of it.  The other thought I had was for the children of both sides who suffered so much. Some being orphaned, or others  asked to do despicable adult things such as throw  grenades and see death and destruction all around them. A generation of children will grow up hating America and vice versa.

Clint Eastwood does not glorify violence but shows the affect on the families, children, and communities. But evil and hatred are in the  world and this film, in my opinion, tells the story of a middle class boy using his talents to try and keep the good guys alive. Even after his time in Iraq was finished, Chris found no peace until he became involved helping his fellow veterans, but this time, not protecting them with his gun  but trying to guide them  with readjustment and through  the hidden mind fields of PTSD. It was in this service to his country, that his life was taken by a troubled fellow veteran.

Rest In Peace, Chris Kyle. . . . .

As I proofread, I thought of something else. War does change situations and people, but are those changes permanent?  Are they positive? Are more problems caused?  Is  there a better way?  Hard questions with equally hard answers. . . . . . but important to ask before the elections in 2016.

Agree or disagree?