Ron Paul tweet following the murder of decorated US Sniper Chris Kyle at a firing range:
"He who lives by the sword dies by the sword." Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn't make sense.
Let's examine. The second sentence is logical, and indeed, Kyle was unwise to put a loaded weapon into the hands of a disturbed individual, paying he ultimate price for a well intentioned mistake.
The first sentence however has a problem. Paul attempts to conflate what he sees as US over-involvement in other nations with the sad death of a decorated soldier at home. Attempting to politicize what was a personal and individual choice seems inappropriate. In other words, the death of Chris Kyle has something to do with how we deal with guns in the USA, but has little to do with our invasion of Iraq. Yes, the shooter was damaged by his participation in war. But the war was over, and his mental damage was well understood. he did not need a gun.
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Comments: 5
It's easy to see examples of people who don't adjust well to not having to kill or be killed.
The war being "over" doesn't change the fact that it has something to do with Kyle's death. Ron Paul was mostly right but his Tweet was unfortunately worded in a way that can easily be misunderstood.
He also makes it sound as if he feels these soldiers deserved what happend to them. (which I sincerely hope is not the case).
As to the shooter, just my opinion, but I'm thinking the PTSD is a misdiagnosis (which might be an easy mistake to make since the guy had been in Iraq, but from what I've heard about the guys behaviour leading up to, and just after the shootings it sounds to me to be more of a case of paranoid schizophrinia. I could be wrong, of course.