When you first hear the words that a Navy SEAL sniper was
killed, you automatically assume that it was on the field of battle. But this isn’t the case and this wasn’t any
sniper. Chris Kyle is a former Navy SEAL
sniper with a record number of kills on the battlefield and the writer of the
novel “American Sniper.” He and his
friend Chad Littlefield, who also is a veteran, were on the gun range of Rough
Creek Lodge and Resort in Glen Rose, Texas. This facility has many different recreational
activities, which include shooting and hunting sports. As Kyle and Littlefield
were shooting, Eddie Ray Routh came from behind and shot both of the vets
dead. Routh then proceeded to drive to
his sister’s house and confessed to the murder.
Before she could question Routh about it, he left. Four hours after the shooting and 90 miles
away from the resort Routh was caught by the police. He was arrested without struggle and is
currently awaiting a court trial.
All of this talk about guns and gun control and now this! This is just going to make the situation even
worse. And the thing that makes this all
worse is that all three of the men were military vets. That’s right.
Even the shooter was a military veteran.
How far will we have to go to try to keep people safe from
shootings? These were trained military men
getting shot down while shooting for recreation. What kind of controversies will this bring
up? This is just more kindling to the
fire on the whole issue of gun control.
What do you think? What CAN we
do? It seems there is no solution for
our whole gun problem. Comment with your
ideas and opinions!
Watch the below video to see a news report on the shooting.
Wow. What have we come to these days? The gun violence has certainly escalated recently, and the only reason I can find is that seeing more of it makes it not as big of a deal to potential shooters.
ReplyDeleteThis story obviously will light up the press about gun control. But, what about another essential issue: veteran support and mental coping.
Veterans are to the point where they are starting to get a bad rap because of their instability which has led to breakdowns, shootings, suicides, etc. We always here about a veteran who lost it and committed some crime or another. Now believe me, these men and women have my total respect. They dedicate their lives to protecting us and not just the greatest country, but the ideals that are the foundation of our nation. And when these acts are committed, I do not place any of the blame on the veterans. They were not born killers. Often times they suffer from PTSD, shell-shock, and other traumas that influence their mental state, not genetically.
Now, I'm not saying that they aren't guilty. They carried out the act. But, I place the blame on government officials who continue to cut veteran benefits, especially in terms of therapy, coping, etc. These people risk their lives for us, and billionaire senators then cut from the veteran aid programs (but God forbid they touch their own salaries) in order to save their state from going deep into debt! These people need help to cope with their experiences. And you may blow that off, but just try to imagine looking someone in the eye and then killing them. I can't. All I can come up with is a sense of fear, regret, guilt, pain, etc. So, why brush them off? Why not help them?
Their crimes may be caused by people egging them on, testing the veterans and seeing if they can get them to "crack." And that is where you sometimes see violent acts. Obviously the veterans feel bad about it, because once they are able to calm themselves down after being driven back into their traumatic past, they realize what they did and often times kill themselves in shame. And then protests erupt at their funerals saying that these men and women are evil and punishment for Americans.
So, I say we focus on helping veterans and not just on controlling their guns. If we put enough pressure on the government maybe they will start increasing benefits and providing therapy to veterans suffering from PTSD and anxiety.
God Bless America