The Truth is Unspeakable; American Sniper unloads on 'American Sniper'

a reply to: cuckooold

I posted more about my Dad in posts in an Off-topic thread, but I thought I'ld bring it up in your thread.

My Dad served as a sniper in WW2 in Europe in the Winter of 1944-45. As kids, we would sit on the living room floor and play with his war souvenirs and medals he kept in a box. We would ask him questions about the box's contents and about what it was like to be in the war. He would tell us kids stories, he would share some stories only with my Mom, but my Mom sadly said that she was sure there were stories he could never share even with her.

One story he told us was the time he had to shoot a child soldier. He always ended the story saying softly with remorse as if asking for a public forgiveness, "What else would anyone have done when a 13 year old points his rifle at you?" He felt sorry for a nation that had to send its young children to fight. Looking back, I think it helped him to share his stories with his family.

He had PTSD. Combat soldiers usually do. But back then the form of treatment for "mental disorders" was shock therapy or lobotomies, and many soldiers refused to seek help, even through the VA, as they did not want to undergo those forms of treatment. Divorce rates were high and alcohol use too often covered the pain. Sometimes former soldiers killed themselves and/or family members. Sounds like today.

My Dad faithfully hung our flag out on every patriotic holiday and was buried in a National Cemetery. One time, when I was 13 years old and we were watching the nightly news with its stories of both Viet Nam and the anti-war protests. he softly said aloud, "If I had had sons, I would take them out back and shoot them, before I would ever let them serve in a war." It was then I began to understand what "the horrors of war" meant.

I like what Mr. Reppenhagen had to say in another article

If you really want to be a patriotic American, keep both eyes open and maintain 360 degrees of awareness. Don’t simply watch “American Sniper.” Read other sources, watch other films about the conflict. Talk to as many veterans as you can, get a full perspective on the war experience and the consequences. Ensure the perceived enemy in your vision is what it seems.

Can't agree more with the above poster - that's why films like this are seen as so grotesque and glamorizing.

originally posted by: Answer

originally posted by: bastion



As for the film it's obvious war machine propaganda - no solider worth their salt would keep a kill count and profiteer from being a serial killer - they'd be ashamed they had take another life and want to make sure no one else was stupid enough o do the same.

Maybe you're not aware of this... but snipers have to file paperwork on every kill.

The sniper doesn't keep the kill-count record, the DOD keeps that record. When Kyle's count went up, word got out and he became a battlefield legend. This was not his doing.

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Which is why the rest of the world are pointing at laughing at America for this, in the UK he'd barely get a mention let alone be standout.

www.dailymail.co.uk... html

It's desperate attempt to get new recruits from a nation that's finally become war weary - the rest of empires matured out this stage millenia ago.

edit on 11-2-2015 by bastion because: (no reason given)