Snipers: The Definition of Brave

In the wake of the colossal Hollywood hit American Sniper, filmmaker Michael Moore sent out a tweet yesterday saying, "Snipers aren't heroes" and that he was taught they're cowards.

Something tells me Mr. Moore isn't brave enough to say that to a sniper's face.

What gives random bloggers and political activists the right to sit behind their computer and judge the level of bravery obtained by someone who has actually served in the military? Has Mr. Moore ever met a sniper or is he going off the facts he's gathered while stuffing his face with popcorn and watching Hollywood movies?

In my NA romance Kelly's Quest, I made one of the characters a Marine. I didn't throw Theo in as some kind of token character or simply because Marines tend to be incredibly attractive (because let's face it, any guy in a military uniform is hard to resist). I wanted Kelly to fall in love with a man who was strong, brave, kind, and ready to jump in front of a bus for anything he believes in.

In the past twenty years, I've friended many real-life Marines as my big brother served back in the 90s, even doing a tour for Desert Storm. He was also a sniper.

I'm not going to lie, they tend to be a wild bunch. But what else would you expect from the type willing to face mentally deranged terrorists in order to protect the country they love? Collectively, they're a brave, kind-hearted, and loyal bunch. If I were to call up any of my brother's old buddies with a serious problem, they'd come to my aid in a heartbeat. They're the type who open doors for little old ladies and stick up for someone being bullied at the bar. And they never do these acts for attention or to solicit a "thank you." They do them because they believe in sticking up for what's right. They do it because they spent many years putting their lives on the line for their fellow Americans and that's something you can't just turn off. These are the type of men who don't back down for anything. By very definition, these men are

brave

brāv/

adjective

1. 1.

   ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.

   "a brave soldier"

   synonyms:

   courageous, valiant, valorous, intrepid, heroic, lionhearted, bold,fearless, gallant, daring, plucky, audacious; More

I'm ashamed to call people like Michael Moore a fellow American. While I agree we're all entitled to our opinions, giving unjustified labels to members of our military doesn't make you liberal, it just makes you a bonafide asshole. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but Sarah Palin may have said it best:

“Hollywood leftists: while caressing shiny plastic trophies you exchange among one another while spitting on the graves of freedom fighters who allow you to do what you do, just realize the rest of America knows you’re not fit to shine Chris Kyle’s combat boots... May the epic American Sniper bring nothing but blessings to Taya and the children of this true American hero.”

I say we launch a Kickstarter campaign sending Michael Moore to live with ISIS. Let him see first hand what a real coward looks like.