A Poignant Essay

[Duc Fever]

By Lt. Col Dave Grossman

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.
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.
Then there are the wolves 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 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 sociopathâ€"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.
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." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.
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. â€" 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.
This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a
matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between.
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.

[Mother]

bullshit

typical mindset that believes just because a man chooses not to make money carrying a gun that he is helpless

go ahead and threaten my family and we will see what kind of teeth this sheep has

[Mother]

and I'm still pissed off after reading that...time for a nap

[Rameses]

I'm with Mother.

You think that b/c I don't have a functioning pancreas, and therefor am ineligible to defend our country, that I'm not willing to kill someone for wronging me?

Try me.

[Holden]

corny egotism.

[mrs minnesotamonster]

+1 for Mother's comment(s).

Once a sheep, always a sheep right? People don't actually react to things on a situation to situation basis, we're all more than happy to just sit by and watch our loved ones be killed or whatever the case may be right? Bullshit.

I also thought using Columbine as an example in that way was in really bad, bad taste.

[supakpow2]

there are so many things wrong with that, that I can't even think where to begin. typical egomaniacal, macho attitude. Because you choose a peaceful, unparanoid life you are weak and in denial. Whatever. If we all thought the way this guy thinks then we would all be in a constant paranoid, cold war, my stick is bigger than your stick state of aggression.
  guys like this use this type of reasoning to justify the course they take and get angry when others don't agree with it or don't bow at their feet to thank them for their strength and protection. We do appreciate it. but thank the 98% that can't live in that environment for being "sheep" otherwise your job would not be such a thrill. it would be a 100% guaranteed death sentence from the population of billions of wolves and sheepdogs out there that get into a HUGE pissing contest and escalate to the all wolf category.
   this guy loves the power and ego stroke of his job and wants everyone to praise him for being a "hero" and a "warrior". his essay is dripping with condescension.
    he says "It's okay to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheepdog." then the sheepdog shouldn't kick, beat or kill the sheep either. The sheepdogs all too often treat the "sheep" like they're wolves. like the guy who doesn't like the way a cop talks to him and gets a little attitude gets demolished for it.
"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".   Dude, denial is a state, not a river, and you are definitely living there. doesn't happen in real life this way.
 this guy makes my brain hurt. I could go on but I'm already sick of listening to myself. Life is not one big love fest.......we get it .

[mrs minnesotamonster]

Well put supa.

[Mother]

+1 as well,

it's inconsistant, contradictory, condescending, and a huge generalization

yeah, I get it wasn't written for us and it is a motivational piece for a select set of eyes

but

come on, I compartmentalize life as well, and this thing is just a way too simplistic view of the world.

I think I'm more angry I took it H L & S before I was able to analyze it.

[herm]

Well put supa.

i agree as well.
what do the sheepdogs do when they have gotten rid of the wolves?
they start seeing wolves in sheeps clothing

[metallimonster]

While I agree with the OP on some points I agree with the rest of you on most of it.

The part that I thought was bullshit was the fact that he said we are in the most violent times in history.

I wonder if he would be a wolf during the reign of the Roman Empire or stand against the hordes of the Monguls, Persians or Vikings.  Those were violent, bloody, horrible warriors.

I'd bet not.

[ducducgooseme]

go ahead and threaten my family and we will see what kind of teeth this sheep has

dentures?    you do live in po-dunk mt hood...who are you kidding about having teeth? 

[Grampa]

baaaaaa


humbug

[swampduc]

What an arrogant, patronizing load of crap that essay is.

[il d00d]

+1 to all of the above.

Aside from being ideologically opposed to much said there, having a lot of doubt about the motives of anyone who espouses the "sheepdog" mentality, I don't see much value in taking a messy gray situation and attempting to make a neat black and white one out of it.