American Sniper

[WWhiskey]

I find this argument over kills tedious. The movie is not about the kills. And even if it was, this brit could have a million kills and still wouldn't be the most lethal sniper in American history, which is the only claim the movie makes.

Bingo!   its so funny to !!!  nobody said "in world history"
 

 So the jist is SysError wants everyone to know that Tara Kyle is a crook,
 Swoop wants everyone to know the Brits are better than any damn Yank
 and Guncrasher wants us all to know how easy it is to become a criminal, I assume to alleviate any blame of Tara Kyle?

[rabbidrabbit]

you bore me

Likewise.

If you want to make a cogent point try taking a look how Brooke and a few others present their positions.  They are well thought out and logical. The only real point you make is the lack of maturity that you posses and the mistaken belief that you can overwhelm the "sparring partner" with the seething condescending tone that permeates your drivel.

[Brooke]

and you will not really get it until you dig into the US Tax Code, Regulations and Official Guidance.

Just that?  Bah -- that's for wimps.  To really get it, you need to read the entire US Code.

[SysError]

... So the jist is SysError wants everyone to know that Tara Kyle is a crook, ...

No, I did not say that.  I think that there are significant troubling indicators in the foundations behavior.  We should wait and see what the 990 says.

The reason I responded to your post was the issue of scam charity veteran organizations.  A good friend of mine, a Vietnam Vet who died about a year ago, was scammed by one.  My friend needed real help.  He went into army reluctantly, but as he said, as a Patriot.  He came out as one big F***ed up pile of s**t.  You would be talking to him and out of nowhere he would break down into tears.  “Child killer that’s me, men, women and children, all the same to me”.  He would tell stories of being the gunner on a Bell chopper and spraying villages and roads.  He was usually drunk and often stoned during these “missions”.

The army kicked him out when he was spent.  The VA just abused him.  He spent years trying to get help for his drug problems and counseling for what we would now call PTSD.  

With no real help from the VA (the same politicians who funded the war refused to pay for the treatment that was needed for vets – Does that sound familiar?), he turned to a private veterans charity.  Short version of the story is that he ended up owing them money – which he really did not have.

I had completely forgotten about this story until after he died.  I was drinking an IPA in his honor when just out of nowhere I remembered it.

I do not have much tolerance for people who engage in tax fraud in the name Veterans

[SysError]

Likewise.

If you want to make a cogent point try taking a look how Brooke and a few others present their positions.  They are well thought out and logical. The only real point you make is the lack of maturity that you posses and the mistaken belief that you can overwhelm the "sparring partner" with the seething condescending tone that permeates your drivel.

Rabbidrabbit I will apologize for my comment.  It was uncalled for.

I do not agree with some of your points, but lets just leave it at that.

 

[guncrasher]

Bingo!   its so funny to !!!  nobody said "in world history"
 

 So the jist is SysError wants everyone to know that Tara Kyle is a crook,
 Swoop wants everyone to know the Brits are better than any damn Yank
 and Guncrasher wants us all to know how easy it is to become a criminal, I assume to alleviate any blame of Tara Kyle?

when did I say that?


semp

[rabbidrabbit]

I appreciate you stepping up. 

The truth is no one is perfect including you, me or Chris Kyle.  There is a lot of questionable facts floating around and some choose to interpret things as they choose.  My take is as follows.

I don't care if Taya Kyle chooses not to donate some or all of the money raised to charitable needs.  The sudden death of her husband clearly changed her reality and she needs to take care of her children after the spotlight fades away.  She owes them and her deceased husband that. 

I don't care if Chris Kyle punched Jesse Ventura or not.  Continuing to pursue his wife and children after his death clearly indicates some of the many reasons that no one can defame Jesse Ventura better than Jesse Ventura.  Assuming Jesse was right, a classy move would have been to pay his lawyers and return all but one dollar to Kyles widow with his condolences.

The only first hand account of what happened after Katrina is that Brandon Webb said Kyle told him he knew of some who shot in the neighborhood of 30 looters.  According to Webb, Kyle never said he did so.

Kyle's official kill record is what it is and there is no reason to question it.

Also not in question is Kyle's military service which was exemplary.  Nor can one question his dedication to fellow members of the military which he ultimately died for.

I just don't really care to piss on the graves of the dead for the sake of drama.  No one is perfect but taking the sum of what is known of Chris Kyle, I would rather be tilting a beer with him than many other people I have met in my life.  That's just me.

[WWhiskey]

No, I did not say that.  I think that there are significant troubling indicators in the foundations behavior.  We should wait and see what the 990 says.

The reason I responded to your post was the issue of scam charity veteran organizations.  A good friend of mine, a Vietnam Vet who died about a year ago, was scammed by one.  My friend needed real help.  He went into army reluctantly, but as he said, as a Patriot.  He came out as one big F***ed up pile of s**t.  You would be talking to him and out of nowhere he would break down into tears.  “Child killer that’s me, men, women and children, all the same to me”.  He would tell stories of being the gunner on a Bell chopper and spraying villages and roads.  He was usually drunk and often stoned during these “missions”.

The army kicked him out when he was spent.  The VA just abused him.  He spent years trying to get help for his drug problems and counseling for what we would now call PTSD.  

With no real help from the VA (the same politicians who funded the war refused to pay for the treatment that was needed for vets – Does that sound familiar?), he turned to a private veterans charity.  Short version of the story is that he ended up owing them money – which he really did not have.

I had completely forgotten about this story until after he died.  I was drinking an IPA in his honor when just out of nowhere I remembered it.

I do not have much tolerance for people who engage in tax fraud in the name Veterans

I'm really sorry for your friend, some just don't get what they need!


 I am also a  disabled, ptsd ridden, Army Veteran who volunteers my time to the VA at least once a week, just as Chris Kyle did,
 I don't compare someone I don't know  who does the same things I do for our veterans as a criminal,,
 if they only give $13000 one time, they will still have given more to veterans than most every other person in this conversation!
 so be whatever it is your trying to be some other way!
his service to his country is what the movie is about, I'm a veteran an I respect him!

 Chris Kyle is a hero's hero to many many military men, cut down for no good reason, while trying to help veterans
 

[WWhiskey]

when did I say that?


semp

don't feel bad, it might have been a stretch!

   while I dont really know if kyle's wife has the money in a checking account earning interest or not I dont really care.

[gblade30]

It doesn't say much, and they can't get simple facts right.

"The Sun said the Briton, who has not been named, had served in the Royal Navy's elite unit for more than a decade and recorded most of his 173 confirmed kills during tours of Afghanistan in 2006/7, having also served in Iraq."

He doesn't have a name and served in an unnamed elite Navy unit

So, this guy got 173 in two short tours? Nonsense, unless he was shooting civilians.

Some things they got wrong... Kyle is credited with 162 confirmed of 255 claimed, not 160. Many could not be confirmed, but were just as dead.

The article claimed that the film was nominated for 2 Oscars.... It has been nominated for 6 Oscars....

Oh yeah, they offered rock solid evidence..... LOLOLOL



sas sor sbs which this dude is in are special ops totally deniable...... chris kyle is modern day propoganda

[SysError]

I'm really sorry for your friend, some just don't get what they need!


 I am also a  disabled, ptsd ridden, Army Veteran who volunteers my time to the VA at least once a week, just as Chris Kyle did,
 I don't compare someone I don't know  who does the same things I do for our veterans as a criminal,,
 if they only give $13000 one time, they will still have given more to veterans than most every other person in this conversation!
 so be whatever it is your trying to be some other way!
his service to his country is what the movie is about, I'm a veteran an I respect him!

 Chris Kyle is a hero's hero to many many military men, cut down for no good reason, while trying to help veterans
 

WWhiskey

Thank you for your service. 

 

[Oldman731]

During the Jesse Ventura trail, Taya Kyle under oath, stated that she had been instructed by her lawyers she was “prevented them from donating more than $13,000 each to two families last year”

It is my understanding that she gave her testimony while producing a voluminous amount of tears.

I'm having some difficulty trying to grasp your point...but are you trying to say that the federal gift tax annual exclusion (per donee) does not apply to 501(c)(3) organizations?

Really?

- oldman

[BaDkaRmA158Th]

Very well said rabbidrabbit. 

 

[SysError]

I'm having some difficulty trying to grasp your point...but are you trying to say that the federal gift tax annual exclusion (per donee) does not apply to 501(c)(3) organizations?

Really?

- oldman

If I understand your comment/question correctly, the US federal gift tax annual exclusion applies to gifts to (usually) family members (usually) as part of an estate planning/financial planning process.

A private foundation has a requirement to donate a minimum percentage of its assets, not, as was reported, what she claimed which was that she was subject to a federal maximum limit.   A foundation can choice to liquidate itself and donate all of its assets in one day.  It does not happen very often.

(BTW: I did think that the amount two gifts of $13,000 was a bit odd and I thought well maybe she is donating it to her own family members and is applying the annual  exclusion rule.  Well I looked it up and in 2014 it was $14,000.  So it does not fit, and besides I am sure that the families who got  her gifts would want to publicly thank her.  But still, two gifts of $13,000 is odd). 


My point, and what really brothered me about this whole thing is that when we (society) through our government decide to exclude from taxation certain people, organizations and companies, we are saying that that entity is providing a good/service that we value - take your pick; feeding the homeless, setting up a park, providing religious services, creating jobs....  In fact we say we value it so much that you do not have to pay for your share of the cost to fix roads, light the streets, run a police force, maintain an army, pay for the cost of care for wounded veterans.

So when someone says that they are going to give 100% of collected donations to families of fallen warriors, and it appears that that is not what they did, and they provide an answer that at least on first pass does not make any sense, I think we should pay attention.  Their 990 will provide a lot more insight.


Please, if you are going to give to charities that serve veterans, please go to an organization like charity watch to find out which organizations do a good job of meeting veteran needs.

http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/donors_guide_to_serving_veterans.html

I would be interested in knowing if others rely on different sources to vet (pun?  Ha ha) charities.

[Swoop]

 Swoop wants everyone to know the Brits are better than any damn Yank

Don't you dare bring me into this argument, if you re-read the thread you'll find all I've said in the whole thing is a one line note to widewing to point out the article he's disparaging does indeed state the military unit of the unnamed sniper.   At no time have I said a damn thing about about us Brits being better.  The whole argument of kills is pointless anyway since, as any military trained shooter will tell you, you don't count kills, you don't enjoy the job, you just do the job.