Hasta La Gadget!

Before getting too far into my commentary on the much-discussed film American Sniper, I want to state that, yes, I have actually watched the film but not read the book. I won’t say that I liked or loved it. It doesn’t seem to be that kind of movie to me; if you did in fact like or love it, I have concerns about you.

The movie did, however, affect me deeply. It was brilliant in every aspect, but most importantly in its tone. The filmmakers simply did an amazing job of communicating the feel of not only being in Iraq, but also the psychological dislocation of coming back to the United States. It’s an eerie feeling — one that I’ve experienced on each of my three tours in varying degrees, and this movie captures it perfectly. I thought Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller were brilliant, not because of who they were portraying, but because I believed they could have been any one of the many families I’ve seen throughout my time in the military.

Yet, half of talking about American Sniper is not with respect to the movie itself, but the man upon whom it (and the ensuing public debate) is focused. As for Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle, I never knew him. In our great military family, folks tend to know one another through one or two degrees of separation, but the only similarities we share is that we both volunteered to serve and deploy for our country. Also that he is from Texas and I have, in fact, been to Texas. We probably both have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express at one point, but that’s about it.

And now to address the various constituencies of American Sniper, all of whom managed to miss the themes in the movie.

First, to Michael Moore, Seth Rogan and others who seem to think that this movie glorifies war: Did we see the same movie? The movie shows, in excruciating accuracy, the challenges of our military families, the pain and pressure they deal with each and every day. Most importantly, the movie showed how hard it is for many of us to “come back” and be present. Even as I write this, I’m having a visceral reaction to my own returns, and the movie captured this with grace and genius. If this is “glory,” it is hard to see how anyone could want it.

The sensitivity surrounding the movie seems absurd to me. I know many have brought up the book, but I want to emphasize since I did not read the book I can only comment on the movie. Furthermore, I should note that war is by its nature, a de-humanizing experience for all. I would not be surprised that someone heard or saw me say something I would be less than proud of. Many of the things veterans do, whether it’s writing a book or a blog or getting a movie, are about going through a healing process (which I would assume was the experience of CPO Kyle). The bottom line though is that I do not remember any scene in this movie where CPO Kyle was thrilled about shooting anyone. In fact, I remember quite the opposite. I remember CPO Kyle never wanting to pull the trigger — hoping, almost praying, that a child did not put him a position to have to pull the trigger. Given my own experiences of deciding whether or not to pull the trigger, I completely empathized with that scene; I even tensed up watching it — reliving my own history over there.

I read Michael Moore’s comments and explanation and have no problem saying that I’ve been a big fan of his work through the years. I even enjoyed watching Fahrenheit 9/11 during my second tour in Iraq. But Mr. Moore, you are not your father, and did not have his same experiences — and when you act as though you did, you simply come off sounding silly. While I don’t think you owe CPO Kyle’s family an apology, I would argue that you owe one to all those who look to you to add something to the great debate in this country. Take care that you do not become that which you so rightly criticize: A hypocrite.

For the conservatives, the level of hatred and vitriol coming from many of you is ridiculous. If people do not agree with you — even the dreaded, elitist Hollywood-liberal complex — your beliefs are not under attack, nor thought of as less than legitimate. Writing off anyone who criticizes American Sniper as unpatriotic, un-American or worse, however, does in fact cheapen your view; it is reactionary and amateurish, as silly as Moore’s warrantless bloviating. This movie was not the second coming, nor did it, in any way, make the Iraq War or the reasons we went into that conflict somehow “okay.” This movie is not a broader commentary on the geopolitical context, nor does it justify and excuse the short-sighted decisions or patently incorrect world views of the people who propagated this war on the American and Iraqi people. It is simply the story of one warrior and his family, and the struggle to do the right thing.

I do not know what CPO Kyle was like as a man. I would imagine that he is much like the rest of us — a little good, a little bad, both saint and sinner. He was also something more. What struck with me most from the movie was a sentiment — echoed by those who knew him — that he was not as much interested in the people he killed as he was by those he saved. If for no other reason, that is why you should consider Chris Kyle a hero, for he is certainly one of mine.

National offices for 16 sororities on Thursday declared they would not back down from their deeply unpopular directive forbidding University of Virginia sorority members from attending this weekend’s fraternity parties.

Sororities at UVA were told last week they are prohibited from participating in “men’s bid night,” one of the biggest party events of the year, when fraternities welcome new members.

Despite a petition drive, a letter-writing campaign and widespread grumbling on the Charlottesville campus, national offices for the 16 sororities with UVA chapters and the National Panhellenic Conference, an umbrella group representing 26 women’s Greek organizations, stuck to their declaration that existing policies prohibit sorority women from participating in fraternity recruitment.

“While we value the input our chapter leaders have to offer on this important and ongoing dialogue, our members’ safety and well-being must remain our top priority,” said a joint statement from the national and international presidents of 16 sororities with UVA chapters, released Thursday through Alpha Delta Pi “That is why we stand by the collective decision of our 16 International Presidents, which supports an existing [National Panhellenic Conference] policy that our organizations will not participate in men’s bid day activities on any campus. Per our members’ request, we will engage directly with our respective chapters to address their concerns and move forward from here.”

In the past, the sorority ban on participating in fraternity recruitment meant women don’t wear T-shirts promoting a certain fraternity. This year, it means women shouldn’t go to frat parties this weekend if they belong to a sorority on campus. No sorority official would say why the organizations decided to crack down on UVA women this weekend.

Fraternity and sorority members at UVA said they hate the directive.

“It’s hard to articulate such a total overwhelming feeling,” sophomore Abraham Axler, chair of the university’s student council, told The Huffington Post.

More than 2,300 people have signed a UVA student’s online petition calling the party pan “gender discrimination.” Students also are writing protest letters to fraternity and sorority national organizations. A unanimously-passed UVA student council resolution condemns the national sororities for issuing a directive “without consideration of any students’ input [and] disregarding the University’s tradition of student-self governance.”

Tammie Pinkston, international president of Alpha Delta Pi, sent a letter on Jan. 20 to all sororities at UVA, telling them the national organizations would support them “in becoming change agents” on campus. “We’d like to begin the change with Men’s Bid Night,” Pinkston’s letter continued, saying it presented “significant safety concerns.” It instructed sorority women not to go to fraternity parties this weekend.

Sororities should “plan alternative sisterhood events with expectations of full chapter participation,” Pinkston’s letter said. “It will be very important for the sixteen groups at UVA to stand united in this.”

Students told HuffPost that some sorority chapters were given more extreme instructions, requiring all members to be inside their sorority house during certain hours this weekend.

The frat party ban came as the university lifted a suspension of social activities it imposed for all Greek life organizations in November, following a now-discredited Rolling Stone article that included an account of a fraternity gang rape.

Gentry McCreary, a higher education consultant specializing in Greek life and student affairs, said he finds it ironic that the National Panhellenic Council was upset by the school’s now-rescinded Greek life ban. “Now, a month later, they’re basically trying to do the same thing,” he said of the council. “Their heart’s in the right place … [but] I think they’re very misguided in what it’s going to take to address sexual misconduct on college campuses.”

The Huffington Post contacted the national offices for all 16 sororities with UVA chapters. Kappa Kappa Gamma said it would not comment. Pi Beta Phi and Alpha Delta Pi directed HuffPost to the joint statement issued Thursday. The others did not return requests for comment.

Linda Kahangi, executive director of Alpha Phi International Fraternity, told The Huffington Post in a statement that organization is proud that its UVA sorority members wanted to “help drive positive culture changes on campus.” She said the sorority ban on bid night stems from a longstanding policy against participating in men’s recruitment.

“This has everything to do with reminding UVA chapters of existing policy and nothing to do with our confidence in the smart, strong women who are members of the Alpha Phi chapter at UVA,” Kahangi said.

Michelle Bower, acting as spokeswoman for the National Panhellenic Conference, said rules decisions are up to each sorority, but the conference “supports them in doing so.”

“We know from experience that such events pose risk management and safety issues,” Bower told HuffPost.

No sorority organization would respond to criticisms of student members.

Read The Original Jan. 20 Letter:

Letter From National Sorority Presidents Urging Non Participation in UVA Men’s Bid Night by Tyler Kingkade

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