American Sniper : my thoughts

I've had a few days to reflect on it and have watched all the bullcr@p flying back and forth from the right and left.

80% of the posts I see and the drivel I'm hearing are missing the damn point about American Sniper.

Maybe I'm lucky because I heard an hour long interview with Chris Kyle when the book came out (which made me buy the book) but his point of writing the book was to show the incredible toll military service and especially what he had to do as a sniper, took on his marriage, family and mental health.

I think Eastwood accurately captured a LOT of this when he was at home and was at a party in his own backyard and he zoned out and then went after the dog. The heartbreak of watching his little brother on the tarmac who he was really happy to see, but his brother just wanted the hell out of there. The inability to deal with "real life" upon his multiple returns until his shrink made him go talk to others who have lived, who had been "saved".

When I hear "right wing propoganda/nazi-like and immoral, egotistical, psychotic" references about the movie or the man or the equal "libtards hating on an American hero and yeah, kill shots on the muslims" it's driving me absolutely batsh!t crazy because you've all missed the damn point over and over again.

Yes, war is horrible, they happen and that's an ENTIRELY different debate about the real "psychopaths" who send our young men and women into harm's way but for those who dedicate their life to service, to protect us and our freedoms, a lot of irreparable damage happens to some of them.  That same damage is what ended up being the cause of Chris Kyle's death. He admitted in that interview that he wasn't back to normal but he was as healthy mentally as he could be at that point. He was helping a LOT of fellow veterans who were coming back with severe PTSD and issues. He was doing what a lot of other people should be doing and making sure there's funding for.

I see the elected officials from the RIGHT more than willing to send the troops but unable to pass funding for proper care and mental health when they return.  I see the same on the LEFT ALSO voting to send them and then deny funding to give them the right equipment to do their jobs when they are there.  And I see hundreds of thousands of bumper stickers saying to "support our troops" and scratch my head to wonder if that just means when they are out responding to conflicts around the world, when they come home to massive fan fare and celebrations or if it even includes those dark, desperate times when they are having issues adjusting back into civilian life.

THAT'S THE POINT OF AMERICAN SNIPER. It's what Kyle said it was in the interview I heard.  not the kill shots or his arrogance. Not Hollywood elites spouting off or other SEALs responding back.  It's the damage Kyle inflicted on others as well as what was inflicted on him.