Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Friday he would officially declare Feb. 2 “Chris Kyle Day” in the state, in honor of the late Navy SEAL sharpshooter portrayed in the film American Sniper.
The movie stars US movie actor Bradley Cooper as Kyle — who was killed by a disgruntled US veteran on a Texas gun range in 2013 — and has been a box office hit as well as a flashpoint of debate between liberals and conservatives.
Abbott, of the Republican Party, made the announcement during a speech at the Texans Veterans of Foreign Affairs mid-winter convention in Austin, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
“In honor of a Texas son, a Navy SEAL and an American hero — a man who defended his brothers and sisters in arms on and off the battlefield — I am declaring February 2nd Chris Kyle Day in Texas,” Abbott said during the speech, according to the statement.
The film has been nominated for six Oscars at this year’s Academy Awards, including best picture. However, critics have said the film glorifies war and sanitizes Kyle, who called Muslims “savages” in his memoir.
An Arab-American civil rights organization also asked director Clint Eastwood and actor Bradley Cooper to denounce hateful language directed at US Arabs and Muslims after the release of the film.
“It is our opinion that you could play a significant role in assisting us in alleviating the danger we are facing,” the letter written by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said.
The committee said it was working with the FBI and police to assess the threats.
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