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What is a Sheepdog

Discussion in 'Guns & Hunting' started by Primersinmyshoe, Jul 9, 2010.

  1. Jul 9, 2010 at 5:33 PM
    #1
    Primersinmyshoe

    Primersinmyshoe [OP] Old Sheepdog

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    I was asked by a forum member about my sheepdog reference. What I can tell you about that is from [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](From the book, On Combat, by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman)
    [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
    Here is the part that I'm talking about:

    [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]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.” Or, as a sign in one California law enforcement agency put it, “We intimidate those who intimidate others.”

    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? Then you are 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.


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  2. Jul 9, 2010 at 5:36 PM
    #2
    JimBeam

    JimBeam BECAUSE INTERNETS!! Moderator

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  3. Jul 9, 2010 at 5:38 PM
    #3
    Dimonback

    Dimonback Well-Known Member

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    Well said, and quoted. Unfortunately the sheep won their hollow victory and the wolves are hunting.
     
  4. Jul 9, 2010 at 5:45 PM
    #4
    Primersinmyshoe

    Primersinmyshoe [OP] Old Sheepdog

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    That may be true, but, don't give up yet. I'm a little long in the tooth but still alive and able to muster up a defense against wolves.

    I didn't see that older thread referencing the same passage. Sorry for the waste of bandwidth.
     
  5. Jul 9, 2010 at 5:50 PM
    #5
    Dimonback

    Dimonback Well-Known Member

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    No one in their right mind has given up. The only question is how much fuel will it take to catch fire?
     
  6. Jul 9, 2010 at 6:13 PM
    #6
    ToucanV13

    ToucanV13 You think I was rollin out here naked?

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  7. Jul 9, 2010 at 6:39 PM
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    Packman73

    Packman73 ^^^^ 3%er ^^^^

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    I know this parable well.
     
  8. Jul 13, 2010 at 10:42 AM
    #8
    Zombie Runner

    Zombie Runner Are these black helicopters for me?

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