Ron Paul Clarifies ‘By the Sword’ Tweet on Sniper’s Death
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Alex Wong/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Ron Paul is blaming foreign wars for the death of ex-Navy SEAL Chris Kyle.
Never one to hold his tongue about U.S. military policy, the former congressman and presidential candidate caused a bit of controversy this week by tweeting that Kyle, who was shot and killed at a gun range in Texas, had lived “by the sword” and died by it.
“Chris Kyle’s death seems to confirm that ‘he who lives by the sword dies by the sword.’ Treating PTSD at a firing range doesn’t make sense,” tweeted Paul (@RonPaul) on Monday.
Kyle was shot and killed Sunday, allegedly by a 25-year-old Iraq veteran. Kyle was the author of American Sniper and, with more than 150 kills, was the deadliest sniper in U.S. history when he left the military in 2009.
After receiving some criticism on Twitter, Paul, 77, later clarified his comment on Facebook, posing Kyle’s death as an unintended consequence of “unconstitutional and unnecessary wars.” On Monday evening, Paul posted the following note:
“As a veteran, I certainly recognize that this weekend’s violence and killing of Chris Kyle were a tragic and sad event. My condolences and prayers go out to Mr. Kyle’s family. Unconstitutional and unnecessary wars have endless unintended consequences. A policy of non-violence, as Christ preached, would have prevented this and similar tragedies. -REP”
Paul has vocally opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as unwarranted and unconstitutional. In his two recent presidential runs, Paul warned repeatedly of the consequences of America’s wars and global military presence, citing the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as blowback from U.S. foreign intervention.
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