I could find no political cartoon or graphic depicting American Sniper in a negative context, after all this covers one of the three things not allowed in America; the vilification of religion, Jews/Israel, or our troops. It is not done and if it is done, a heavy price will be paid. As Michael Moore and Seth Rogen have found out. I will be interested to see what Bill Maher does with this tonight. Did he learn his lesson at ABC? Or does he feels safe at HBO? Or will he buckle?
As a combat veteran who spent 13 months on the DMZ in Korea with a sniper in tow, I do not think it proper or honest to use the word coward or cowardly to describe that manner of warfare. But MOST CERTAINLY there is nothing at all heroic in shooting people half a mile away. Or for that matter killing people with missiles, drones or B52s. Walk some point and then talk to me.
But that is not really the problem with the movie. Rather that it is propaganda piece that glorifies war, worships the gun, is in full support of the Bush/Cheney fiasco in Iraq, demonizes Muslims and celebrates violence. And what little Ying and Yang there is to the movie was not the reality of Chris Kyle who had no doubts about his job or the 255 probable kills he made. As a gun enthusiast Chris Kyle thought it a good idea to take a troubled combat veteran to a gun range in Texas and give him a gun to shoot away his problems. The troubled veteran shot away Chris Kyle instead. Ah, did I happen upon a connection between guns and religion? More harm than good?
The movie was made specifically for the the NRA, the Tea Party and the empty chair crowd as a poke in the eye to Hollywood liberals, who Clint Eastwood knows full well cannot go negative on “our troops” for the PC of it. It has grown even more deadly quiet since Michael Moore and Seth Rogen have paid their price in speaking up. We can only hope there is not a Charlie Hebdo fatwa on either of them.
I would strongly suggest that if you are not of that NRA / empty chair crowd you pass this movie up in the theaters, especially if you live down here in Dumbutt, Texas. All the foot stomping applause coming when some Muslim gets shot between the eyes could cause a loss of self control, a bag of popcorn thrown with a theater full of armed gun enthusiasts whose greatest hope is to one day have the opportunity to shoot some unarmed or unsuspecting liberal in the face, God willing. Ah yes, God willing…