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Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me:
"Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle,
productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident."
This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year,
and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What
this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined
to hurt one another. Some estimates say that two million Americans
are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering
number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there
are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being
a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred
on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are
committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens
is considerably less than two million. Thus there is a paradox, and
we must grasp both ends of the situation: we may well be in the most
violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This
is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable
of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme
provocation. They are sheep. I mean nothing negative by calling them
sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is
soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But
the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police Officers,
Soldiers, and other Warriors are like that shell, and someday the
civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now,
though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators. "Then
there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed
on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out
there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it.
There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds.
The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep.
There is no safety in denial. "Then there are Sheepdogs," he went on,
"and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."
If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive
citizen: a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy
for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath,
a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love
for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior,
someone who is walking the hero's path Someone who can walk into the
heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out
unscathed. One career police officer wrote to me about this after
attending one of my Bulletproof Mind Training Sessions: I want to say
thank you for finally shedding some light on why it is that I can do
what I do. I always knew why I did it. I love my folks, even the bad
ones, and had a talent that I could return to my community. I just
couldn't put my finger on why I could wade through the chaos, the gore,
the sadness, if given a chance try to make it all better, and walk
right out the other side. Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent
model of the sheep, wolves, and Sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live
in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe
that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can
happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire
alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools. But many of them
are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's
school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or
seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only
response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone
coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the
path of denial. The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a
lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The
difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not
ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest
little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other
way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.
Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that
there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them
where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our
airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much
rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white,
and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries
desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog. The students, the victims,
at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under
ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a
police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a
cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were
clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those
clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about
their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door. Look at what happened after
September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how
America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement
officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word
hero? Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a
sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog
is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter,
checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and
yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young Sheepdogs yearn for a
righteous battle. The old Sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they
move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.
Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend
the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the
attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in
America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The Sheepdogs the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those
planes. Maybe I could have made a difference."

by LTC. Dave Grossman, USA (Ret)

I thought some of you might enjoy reading this as much as I did

__________________
Jess
Light Foot English

"They are often imitated but never duplicated"

interesting read... believe that the sheepdog is always prepared to counteract violence, will do what it takes, answers the bell when it tolls, but does not seek violent situations or violence and only uses it to prevent the same.. violent behavior has actually been at an all time low since records have been kept, but the media reports the sensational and not the the common... enjoyed it...

Part 2

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious,
predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically
targeted victims by body language: Slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that
most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. — from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. - Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the
sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.
If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. It's okay to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheepdog. Indeed, the sheep dog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little beter and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and spirit with the sheep moving from "baa" to "thanks". The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

We do not call for gifts or freedoms beyond our lot. We just need a small pat on the head, a smile and a thank you to fill the emotional tank which is drained protecting the sheep. And when our number is called by the Almighty, and day retreats into night, a small prayer before the heavens just may be in order to say thanks for letting you continue to be a sheep. And be grateful for the thousands, millions of American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad ideas.

__________________
Jess
Light Foot English

"They are often imitated but never duplicated"