Actor Bradley Cooper, right, plays Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in “American Sniper.” The film is based on Kyle’s autobiography. (Warner Bros./AP)
“American Sniper” is neither a pro-war movie nor anti-war. It makes no attempt to either justify the war in Iraq or convict those who made the decisions for war. However, it does touchingly capture the angst, moral ambiguity and familial impact of what combat does to a man.
Some of our leaders today argue that the “arc of history” will sustain us into the 21st century and beyond. We, the West, just need to get out of the way and let this arc carry us forward. This modern progressive notion of the arc of history is fatally flawed.
We need rough men who are ready to execute violence upon those who would do us evil, to paraphrase an old saying. Chris Kyle was that rough man, and as a nation we would do well to honor his sacrifice and those of his family while also imbuing our youth with those same ideals.
Tim Reynolds,Colorado Springs
This letter was published in the Jan. 23 edition.
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