Sheldon Richman on Why the American Sniper Was No Hero
If Clint Eastwood's record-breaking movie, American Sniper, launches a frank public conversation about war and heroism, the great director will have performed a badly needed service for the country and the world. Despite what some people think, hero is not a synonym forcompetent government-hired killer. Sheldon Richman's latest column is neither a movie review nor a review of the late Chris Kyle's autobiographical book on which the movie is based. Richman's interest, instead, is in the popular evaluation of Kyle, America's most prolific sniper, a title he earned through four tours in Iraq.
