The new year starts off filled with controversy and irony as the box office hit American Sniper dominates theaters nationwide for the second weekend in a row. The film resurrects old arguments for and against the Iraq war and opinions came flooding in through social media and media sites.

For example, Michael Moore, a director and producer, sent a tweet the other day saying snipers were cowards; this message received a lot of criticism from both fans of the movie, as well as politicians.

Some support Moore’s statement, saying that the film is provoking social media comments supporting killing Muslims and other Middle Eastern peoples. Now Moore, as well as everyone else in the world, has a right to say what they want, no matter how controversial that statement is.

But Moore, as well those who now support the killing of Middle Eastern people because of the movie, are misunderstanding the aim of Clint Eastwood, the director of the film.

American Sniper, unlike a lot of other movies that more obviously support war, is trying to show the devastation the Iraq war had on American lives. Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL sniper, died. His children have no father. Their mother is a widow. And why? Because he died trying to help another American regain control of his life.

Eastwood made sure to focus on the mentally damaging events Kyle experienced while in the Middle East, and he didn’t stop there. The director also includes events in the marksman’s life that shows his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affect not only him, but his family and friends as well. This movie shows the dark side of this recent war and how patriotic civilians lose their lives because of their devotion to this country. If Eastwood wanted to promote military service, then he would’ve included much more explosions, women, and the hero would’ve lived at the end. But no. He wanted to tell the true story of a real human being whose life is damaged and over because of war. He is not promoting war, if anything he is criticizing fighting.

Those who criticize the movie are free to their speech and opinion, but one must remember that this movie is not fiction. Every detail might not be real, but the humans, the people are. I cannot speak for Taya Kyle, Chris’ wife, but other people, especially those with a powerful voice, should be careful with their words with this topic. The marksman died less than two years ago and the figurative wounds must still be painful to the Kyles’.

This disapproval of harsh criticism for the film is not only directed towards those who believe Chris is a coward, but to those who mistook the director’s aim for being pro-war. This film had no aim to provoke viewers to desire to kill Middle Easterners, but instead to show them the pain of such violence. Of course there are parts in the movie that seem awesome but that’s only a soundbite compared to the rest of Chris’ stressing four tours in Iraq. A high school student such as myself has no place to describe what war is like — but from what the movie shows, it must be damaging to the mind.

This column is not anti-war as it may seem. Not many can do what soldiers do, and this is why they deserve the respect and understanding from the civilians. No matter what political views one has, a soldier must live with haunting images imprinted into his or her brain for the rest of his or her life so one cannot blame the soldiers directly for such acts they commit to ensure their way back home.

Clint Eastwood is merely aiming to tell the story of Chris Kyle, a SEAL who risked his life so that others may live. As previously mentioned, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there must be consideration and understanding when this opinion is about real people who helped save the lives of others.