Almost a year ago, I wrote a blog about how I believed that Chris Kyle was a lying sociopath. I stand by my statement as nothing he has done since then has really proved me wrong. If you write a book about how people of a different religion and culture are animals who deserve to be killed, you are either a bloodthirsty murderer without a conscious (a sociopath) or an animal yourself. In fact, I doubt he wrote the book himself, but told some ghostwriter what to say.
Anyway, the main focus of my blog was really about how he admitted on national television how he had assaulted former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. He lied about what Governor Ventura had said that led him to allegedly have done that. I never really condemned Chris Kyle for his 160 kills in combat (nor questioned the number) as he was in combat situations as a sniper. What I found disturbing with him was the fact that he was boasting about it all and wished he had killed more people.
Despite all of this, I am still getting comments on my blog about this. Here are a few:
Anonymous (back when I allowed it):
Please read "On Killing" and "On Combat"...then maybe you'd have some small idea of what these guys/gals go through. Until then you're just another ignorant blow hard. Or you can join the military, pick up a weapon and defend your brothers/sisters and this country.
Defend from what? An Iraqi flying a plane into a tower where I don’t live? But I digress. You’re right, I don’t know what they go through. But I have a vivid imagination and a healthy respect for human life. I think I can imagine that most combat veterans are haunted by what they’ve done and not so much prideful.
John Irving, former ODA team member 3rd Special Forces Group
I fully accept the fact that it is your right to attack Chris Kyle while not providing your own identity but do you not think it is a bit spineless? I absolutely think you should give Mr Kyle a call, tell him who you are and provide the feedback you have presented here. Also it is a bit interesting that a computer programmer has the knowledge to diagnose Mr Kyle both as a sociopath as well as not suffering from PTSD and this also from a distance.
Well, unless he says he suffers from PTSD, then he doesn’t suffer from it. Regardless, the point here is that he clearly lacks a moral compass, or has suppressed his morality in order to cope with the people he’s killed. Of course, they were not people, at least according to the sniper, but animals.
Also, I am not disparaging any military people here, nor do I think that PTSD is a requirement for a soldier to not be a sociopath. I am merely pointing out that a truly moral person does have his or her regrets when committing horrible acts. Mr. Kyle does not.
Finally, though, we have this most recent gem:
You are a fool..the animals he killed in iraq were just that ANIMALS..and jesse ventura was never a navy seal yet he says he is.He was a UDT..and never saw combat in Vietnam..Jesse is a lying pos
This comes from bob m, who took the time to create a blogger profile in order to comment on my blog (I’m honored). Word of advice: acronyms, so as POS, are usually done in all capital letters.
As for you’re claim that I’m a fool, well if you mean in the Biblical sense, I think God might have a few words to share with you about that. I’m not the best person in the world nor am I by any means a prophet (in the Biblical sense), but I have enough wisdom to understand the basics.
And finally, as for your claim that they are animals, well, who says colonialism is dead?