He goes on 4 deployments to the nastiest, scummiest and disease ridden cell pool of a battlefield and winds up getting fucking shot by a veteran at a gun range? Does someone think for just a second that it might be one of the most messed up events for god’s sake? An accomplished soldier, a warrior, someone with a complete level head in a snake pit of confrontation which requires cool head, a deadly trigger finger and skill sets that have him largely a single US Navy SEAL infused with a weapon that is part of his DNA and he gets it in the least likely of places. At home. On a range. By a vet.
Chris Kyle was a family man and someone with a fierce dedication to both country and his brothers in arms. He understood what was meant by personal sacrifice and putting those he cared about in his heart while he fought America’s enemies and tried to save as many American soldier’s lives as he could and felt regret only because he could not save them all. He was a warrior and if the number of SEAL insignia that were slammed down upon his casket is a testimony to how many lives he touched, his brothers who only knew the same selfless convictions shared with Chris, then it is easy that his prowess, attitutude and self sacrifice made him very special.
Simply put one need only read his book or watch American Sniper to get a look into this man’s heart, his simple ways and his dedication to know and understand him. A person may not need to agree that killing is instinctually wrong or somethign we are taught through either religion or society not to do but in the end, when faced with decisions, to go against the grain and save lives he had to. He needed to.
When I served in the Marine Corps I learned the deep respect that fellow Marines had for one another. We wore the same uniform. We served in the same unit and we understood why we did what we did. God, Corps, Country and then everything else.
I for one find it a travesty and a little embarrasing that a veteran would end of the life of someone who was clearly there to help and nothing causes me more pain than think that we lost both men as a result of the poor decisions of maybe not just one’s actions but the trust that came from the other.
I can only hope that we as a people do not condemn our veterans because of the actions of one but we learn more about their ailments, the triggers that takes place in each brought on by their sacrifices, the environments they have been forced to witness and the stresses they encounter. As a society we owe our veterans. We owe them more than just gratitude (and for many they would say that gratitude is enough) because they ask for little or nothing in the choices they have made.
Solutions. It takes time. We are only beginning to discuss, investigate and in some cases donate to causes that have full little understanding of what they ask of us to donate to. They are eager with their hands out and use causes such PTSD, suicide, homelessness and overall neglect not to mention the rediculous attitude, lack of care of bullshit waiting oat your local VA! At least you can sit and die slowly to the tune of some volunteer playing the music of Jimmy Tone’s 101 Elevator songs in the lounge while searching for your unit pin at the cantina. Great times to be had by all. Puke. I would rather take a kick to the balls by a 1500 pound draft horse.
So in my opinion now is no better time than to really look for ways we can talk, find solutions, hell throw a townhall onthe subject of veterans and what we can do to help them. Truly help and not just talk about it like you have some idea of what the hell they have gone through but take a page out of the Chris Kyle story and put them ahead of yourself for a minute and drive for solutions and cooperation aimed at true healing. Mind. Body and spirit. I Can only hope.
Starting in February, Vision-Strike-Wear.Com will be donating to Purpleheartfoundation.Org to support their hard work and effort working with our veterans. This organization puts its money where its mouth is and supports the veterans and gets much needed funs where it is needed the most.
Through grants and outreach programs, we lend support to other organizations whose programs align with our mission, and we make smaller, direct contributions to veterans facing exceptionally difficult financial challenges.” (Source: Purpleheartfoundation.org)
Additional programs that Vision-Strike-Wear.Com supports is Help Heal Our Vets which serves our veterans by iddentifying, working with and raising funds for only organizations that put their money in the hands of our veterans and not the bullshit corporate executive salaries. They make sure it is not a simple thing of throwing money at org’s who have their hands out and do nothing but make sure our veterans get what they need from homes to wheelchairs.
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Perhaps the story of Chris Kyle will spark a consciousness to finally come to terms with veterans and their ailment and dedicate a patch to healing. We hope so.