As Americans, we often become ignorant to events happening every day to our soldiers overseas.
Oscar-nominated “American Sniper” is Clint Eastwood’s military film starring Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, who served as a United States Navy SEAL and was the most lethal American sniper in U.S. military history with 160 confirmed kills.
The events in this film can be described as traumatizing, by showing women and children being shot, as well as many other graphic war scenes.
The story tells viewers the life of Kyle, his hardships with his SEAL brothers, his relationships with his wife and children, as well as his experience with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
There are many Americans who support the troops and are involved in some way with the military, however; many people go about their normal lives never knowing what impact war has on American soldiers who protect our country.
“The experiences that they went through were real. War is a real thing, PTSD is very much a real thing, and that is something American soldiers who have fought in the Middle East know and live with every day,” said Delta student Mariah Gomez.
Millions of people have gone to the theaters to see the much-anticipated film.
Some were taken back by the events that took place.
Many viewers took to social media sharing both positive and negative reviews.
While many people enjoyed the Eastwood’s movie, others didn’t.
Filmmaker Michael Moore tweeted: “Snipers [are] cowards, Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren’t heroes. And invaders worse.”
Other American’s began to post irrational and racist statements against the Middle Eastern race.
In this case, it’s overlooked that the villianous characters in the film are radicals and don’t represent all people from the Middle East.
Many are claiming “American Sniper” is Hollywood’s glorification of murder.
Being a sniper can be looked at as one of the hardest jobs in the military. It truly is a kill or be killed profession.
No matter how you feel about foreign policy, the war, or anything else, every American walking out of this movie theater can feel a sense of pride and patriotism one could only feel in the United States of America.
Kyle and millions of other American soldiers spanning across continents and decades have given their lives for your freedom, my freedom and our children’s freedom.
This movie, despite the controversy, is a tribute not only to Kyle, but also to veterans everywhere.