I've no doubt that Kyle's wartime heroics saved many American lives, and that he and men like him deserve our thanks for the sacrifices they made. But in considering his legacy, I can't get past that story (first written by Mike on this blog, and fleshed out at the beginning of his magazine piece) about Kyle killing two would-be carjackers at a gas station along Highway 67 south of Dallas. Leave aside for the moment the issue of whether this story is true. Let's say that it all went down precisely as Kyle described it to Mike. I find that even more disturbing then if he'd just made the whole thing up. Here's why: