In an interview this past week, former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura was quoted making disparaging remarks about Chris Kyle, the inspiration for the box office hit “American Sniper.”

“Killing 160 people on the battlefield — why is that heroic?” Ventura asked. “That is doing your job. That is what you were trained to do.”

Ventura previously got into a lawsuit with Kyle regarding a chapter in “American Sniper,” the book on which the new film is based.

The chapter in question describes an alleged altercation between Kyle and Ventura that took place in a bar in California. According to Kyle, Ventura made a comment that the Navy SEALS “deserve to lose a few,” and a fight ensued. Ventura eventually won a libel case after the jury decided that the events were fabricated.

However, the ordeal did not end there for Ventura.

Since Kyle’s death, Ventura has received unfounded criticism regarding the litigation.

Many journalists, including Anderson Cooper, have tried to spin the story, making it seem as though Ventura targeted Kyle’s widow for her estate. In reality, Ventura had started the lawsuit well before Kyle was killed.

It’s within his rights to want to clear his name.

In the end, Ventura makes a valid point about heroism. Just doing one’s job well does not make a person a hero. True heroism does not lie in trumped-up war stories, but rather in humble, noble sacrifices.