The ‘unverifiable’ legacy of Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American history

[Logical]

Chris Kyle, musclebound, grim-faced and lethal, liked to tell stories.

Before his murder in 2013 at 38, the so-called deadliest sniper in American history nurtured a comic book narrative. He was the “true American badass,” as one journalist called him, who dipped, wore big boots and affected an aw-shucks Texas swagger. With 160 confirmed kills under his belt and a beautiful family behind him, he became the stuff of military legend. He wrote a best-selling book. Statues were erected. Millions made.

And then there were his stories — some of which smelled fishy. “There were a lot of things he told people that are really unverifiable,” journalist Michael J. Mooney, who wrote a book on Kyle, told The Washington Post.

Like the one about how he and a bud went down to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and picked off dozens of bad guys. Or the one in which he took on two armed Texans bent on stealing his truck and shot them both dead. Or the one he told about former Minnesota governor Jesse “The Body” Ventura.

It’s a story that Ventura said was false. A Minnesota jury, which on Tuesday awarded Ventura $1.8 million in damages from Kyle’s estate after deliberating for six days, agreed.

more at this link.......

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/07/30/the-complicated-but-unveriable-legacy-of-chris-kyle-the-deadliest-sniper-in-american-history/

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. This is another sad chapter in the glorification of "warriors" ...

that the U.S. seems enamored with ... I read this and think Jessica Lynch and the sad story of Pat Tillman.

[Logical]

2. You are so correct, why celebrate a man who brags about killing 100s of people? I remember....

my dad not even being willing to discuss WWII, much less ever answering the "did you kill anyone" question.

[1StrongBlackMan]

5. So true ...

In my years, I have known a bunch of soldiers, many of whom were Special Operations folks. The vast majority of them refused to talk about anything they did (except for the wild nights they spent in exotic places) ... and those that did were looked down upon as braggards, liars, or nuts.

[mopinko]

6. my nephew is a war hero. he insisted that his family keep their yaps shut.

even when he got a big medal, and even tho he is in an important job now, we do not speak his name on the interwebs. or else.

[Logical]

10. That is a real hero. nt

[mopinko]

11. well, in all honesty, part of it was the fatwa.

srsly.
but that is also just the way he is. and why he was so good at his job.

[Brickbat]

14. Because it's cheaper than giving him therapy.

[kentuck]

3. I agree.

It's sick. The glorification of killing.

[SomethingFishy]

15. Almost every "hero" story that came from the illegal

and immoral war in Iraq has turned out to be bullshit.

And did I read that right? The man claims to have taken his sniper rifle to New Orleans and shot people he deemed "bad guys"? So he continued his excellent career by shooting at Americans?

So I wonder if he shot at the black kid who was "looting" while letting the white people who were "foraging" off...

[belzabubba333]

4. glorified by people frightened of the bigness of the world around them which is changing quickly

and their inability to stop it.

[Logical]

19. +100 nt

[Iggo]

7. If any of that stuff's true, then he's an even bigger asshole than I already thought he was.

[truebrit71]

8. Interesting read...

He doesn't seem to have been a pleasant person, at the very least his claim to have murdered 30 people in N.O. after Katrina should have been investigated....

[Logical]

9. Also, the gas station killings would of been big news. Shit, the NRA would advertise it. nt

[mopinko]

12. no hero worship, no more heroes.

imho, evolutionary psychology explains this. "altruism", being willing to die for others, makes no sense unless there is a mechanism to raise any offspring that hero might leave. hero worship, imho, is that mechanism.
medals are a very necessary cog in the war machine.

time to evolve.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Sociopathic narcissists shouldn't be given guns.

[Logical]

16. I would agree with that. nt

[Contrary1]

18. ...or movies made about their lives. n/t

[zappaman]

17. Kick and Rec! n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. The Iraq war was illegal and immoral

Begun with lies, and filled with lies.

I'm all for supporting the veterans of that illegal war, but forgive me if the adulation piled on to the late Mr. Kyle strikes me as something other than supporting veterans. Something very much other, actually.

When people are pumping their fists over the tabulation of Mr. Kyle's triumphs, they should be reminded that the Iraq war was illegal and immoral.

[Quantess]

21. Interesting.

[Logical]

22. Needed another bump! nt