Ron Paul criticized for tweet on sniper's death

Former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) is drawing criticism Monday for comments he made on Twitter about the death of a Navy Seal killed this weekend at a gun range.

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

— Ron Paul (@RonPaul) February 4, 2013

Chris Kyle, a veteran of five combat tours in Iraq, was thought to be the deadliest sniper in American military history, killing 160 people. He and another veteran were shot to death at a shooting range Saturday by a former Marine who was thought to be suffering from combat-related mental health issues.

From reports, Kyle was helping Eddie Routh, his alleged shooter, treat his condition with so-called Prolonged Exposure Therapy. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, suffers of post-traumatic stress disorder "practice approaching situations that are safe but which [they] may have been avoiding because they are related to the trauma."

The exact intention of Paul's comment was unclear. The former congressman has been a staunch supporter of Second Amendment rights, blasting "misguided" and "emotional" calls for greater gun restrictions in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., shootings.

"Many Americans believe that if we simply pass the right laws, future horrors like the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting can be prevented," Paul said. "But this impulse ignores the self evident truth that criminals don't obey laws."

More likely, Paul — a gynecologist who often referred to his medical background on the campaign trail — was suggesting that he did not find the therapy technique appropriate.

The tweet drew immediate fire from some on Twitter, including conservative commentator and former Reagan speechwriter John Podhoretz:

This is appalling. twitter.com/RonPaul/status…

— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 4, 2013

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