LeAnne Hardy, author and editor
  • Home
  • BIO
  • My Books
    • Children's and Young Adult
    • Historical Fiction
    • Non-fiction
  • Blog
  • Editorial Services

My ​Times and Places
​


​​

A difficult Read

4/11/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
​I recently read American Sniper by Chris Kyle. It isn’t great writing, just an ordinary soldier (make that an extraordinary soldier) telling about his experiences. I’m American, but let’s just say this was a cross-cultural experience for me. The book showed up as available on my library app, and I had heard a lot about it when the movie came out, so I thought, why not? “It’s a really good book,” I was told, and I certainly can’t fault it for excitement. Kyle was definitely an adrenaline junkie.
 
But I found Kyle’s attitudes hard to comprehend. He is a brother in Christ according to his own testimony; we believe the same things about Jesus, see Jesus as the same highest priority in our lives and yet, Kyle finds war fun? He kills people for a living. How can that be? 

They are all bad guys, according to Kyle. They probably are, but to look down the scope of a gun and send them to hell? For eternity? And to feel cheated when sidelined from such action? It is not a mindset I find easy to understand.
 
I am well aware that the military is a necessary institution. I am not naïve enough to think that our freedoms would long survive if we shut it down. But I consider war a necessary evil to be avoided whenever possible, not an exciting career with lots of great bonding and exciting action. I have no doubt that steeling oneself to kill is a necessary part of serving in the military; it was the “not wanting to miss out on the fun” that bothered me. Laughing off bar fights that end in ER only confirmed in my mind that something was twisted here. These are people we are talking about, for God’s sake (and I use that expression intentionally). Admittedly, part of the story is that Kyle comes home burned out, his marriage nearly destroyed by his loyal-SEAL mentality, but he himself never seems to see a problem with the mindset that caused him to chose those priorities. He considers those who think the wiser approach to Iraq would have been hospitals and schools and building relationships in the community to be naïve wimps.
 
The issues are obviously complicated. Kyle died at the hands of a disturbed veteran he was trying to help (although how anyone could think that putting a gun in the hands of a disturbed anyone was a good idea is beyond me.)
 
I find myself wondering about recent incidents of police brutality against African Americans. Yes, some of those African Americans were “bad guys,” but none of their actions were deserving of death. How similar is the attitude of urban police to the military’s attitude that people like me should just get out of the way and let them do their job?
 
I thought of leaving American Sniper in the middle, but (aside from being an obsessive-compulsive reader) I thought I needed to see how that side of our society thinks. I finished the book. I still don’t understand.
2 Comments
Steve Westberry
4/13/2016 06:10:18 am

LeAnn,
If u can understand the military as a necessary evil than u can certainly understand that for every one person he kills, he saves multiple lives. I'd be pretty thrilled about that. If u have the mentality u speak of then u would question urself before killing anyone. U would last all of the walk to the battlefield because u cannot hesitate. War is kill or be killed. This is the reason u r a writer n not a soldier but to question a soldier in this way is cowardly. The walk a mile in his shoes thing...

Reply
LeAnne Hardy
4/13/2016 06:37:13 pm

Steve, I do recognize that Kyle saved lives. It was treating it like a sport that bothered me. You're right that I wouldn't last the walk to the battlefield, but I would be willing to wait a few blocks away and comfort the mothers and children.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    LeAnne Hardy has lived in six countries on four continents. Her books come out of her cross-cultural experiences and her passion to use story to convey spiritual truths in a form that will permeate lives.

    RSS Feed

    Add http://www.leannehardy.net/1/feed to your RSS feed.
    To receive an e-mail when I post a new blog, please subscribe.
    Subscribe to Blog

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    Author Interviews
    Current Events
    Devotional Thoughts
    Guest Blog
    Holidays Christmas
    Holidays Easter
    Holidays-Easter
    Holidays Other
    Holidays-Thanksgiving
    Missions And Missionaries
    Music
    My Books
    My Life And Family
    My Travels
    Non Fiction
    Orphans And Vulnerable Children
    Photos
    Publishers And Publishing
    Reading And Sharing Books
    Reviews
    Skating
    Theological Education
    Tributes
    Writing

    Archives

    June 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    March 2000

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • BIO
  • My Books
    • Children's and Young Adult
    • Historical Fiction
    • Non-fiction
  • Blog
  • Editorial Services