“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.
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.
Love everything about this post! It’s accurate and a nice way to think of our sheep friends and family (of which I have too many). I’ve been praying for just one of my sisters to wake up for quite a few years and it’s just such a bummer to hear them snoring - ugh! Some day I hope!🤞
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it and thank you for your feedback fren. I understand exactly how frustrating it can be as I'm in a similar situation with a brother. Godspeed and God bless!
There is another sub group not mentioned. These are the men that simply want to be left alone. They keep their eyes on the wolves but are not sheepdogs. And they most definitely arent the sheep. They are the Angry Saxons in Kiplings poem. They see with clear eyes and once their ire is raised, they are an unstoppable force. The sheepdogs can not fulfill their duties without these men. Most of us here represent this group.
You can argue that the sheepdogs are as easily deceived by the wolves as the sheep are. We see this in every revolution where the authoritarians come into overt control and the sheepdogs, acting too late to respond to tyranny, are replaced by minions of the wolves. Or even worse, act against their conscience and become wolves themselves. It is the Josey Wales of the world that are humanities true bulwark against tyranny.
I agree, those sheepdogs who lack a strong moral compass and will to carry on with the fight can be easily crushed by what they perceive to be insurmountable pressure. They then run the risk of reverting back into the wolves in sheep(dogs) clothes.
I did like your post though. Hope my comments didnt give a different impression. It was a thought provoking post for me. And Im a big Josey Wales fan.
Another movie example of this type of man would be Jeremiah Johnson. Stoic. Resolved. And really I think it exemplifies most Americans when we are pushed and its our turn to play.
I like thought provoking dialog and enjoyed reading your comments. I take no offense to what you said at all fren, so no worries. Conversations like these are what makes this place special. In my opinion we both come out of this with alot to think about and that's a win win in my book. I hope you have a great rest of your day and a relaxing weekend ahead. Furthermore, I also enjoy the movie Jose Wales, and his banter with his native American companion also makes me laugh out loud.
I'm just one of those people that wants to be left alone. I don't need luxury or monetary wealth, I just want to exist in my little world without the deep state constantly shitting and pissing on me.
I just want to garden and share food with people and I have an ancient death cult that's bent on world domination trying to cripple, kill, or enslave me. Fuck bro, just let me grow cherry tomatoes in peace.
Lol Yep I hear you! The laugh was for your wording not to undermine or make light of your statement on the struggle. Hope your garden has a bummer crop this year and are able to bless the people you share your harvest with fren. Thanks again!
If one refuses to believe evil is in the world, they view good as being non existent too. The sheep say things like, “there is nothing I can do”, “nothing will ever happen”, and so on. While many things are happening.
Amazing stuff. Where are the shepherds? Those who allow the flock to build up idols within their hearts are also responsible, even more responsible. They are given the ability to lead a flock of mindless sheep into a direction of peace, yet are they on purpose leading to a desolate place while slaughtering the sheep that question?
Just like this Western civilization issue we are in, the way to fix it is from the bottom up. Too many want to blame the top. Blame God or their neighbors for the torment they are in and the torment on the horizon. To have peace in the war doesn’t necessarily mean you will have peace without war. Those who have peace with love will conquer in any situation.
In politics we are seeing local governments being changed, we are seeing the enemy desperately trying to keep their path on Marxism alive. Just like that we have to do little things within in ourselves to change and God will see the little things. ;)
Outstanding addition to this topic fren, you are spot on with changing ourselves and the people around our spheres of influence for the better first. As I say all the time to my family and friends "The old man must die and then be reborn with a new state of mind". That's not to say we reach a plateau and we can stop pursuing our ascension, it is a daily battle we all must undergo to become "Christ like". I thank you for your thoughts and wish you Godspeed and God's Blessings on your journey. Again, Excellent statements fren, bravo.
Nice post, nice topic discussion by Lt. Col. Grossman. Reminds me to stay more vigilant and ready when I'm out, something I've been slacking on recently.
Im glad you enjoyed it and I agree, it can be a daunting task keeping vigilant and we all could use a reminder of why we do it from time to time. Thank you for your compliment on the post fren!
“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.
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.
Text can be continued at this link:
https://www.theexpositor.tv/blog/sheep-wolves-and-sheepdogs-lt-col-dave-grossman/
Love everything about this post! It’s accurate and a nice way to think of our sheep friends and family (of which I have too many). I’ve been praying for just one of my sisters to wake up for quite a few years and it’s just such a bummer to hear them snoring - ugh! Some day I hope!🤞
I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it and thank you for your feedback fren. I understand exactly how frustrating it can be as I'm in a similar situation with a brother. Godspeed and God bless!
There is another sub group not mentioned. These are the men that simply want to be left alone. They keep their eyes on the wolves but are not sheepdogs. And they most definitely arent the sheep. They are the Angry Saxons in Kiplings poem. They see with clear eyes and once their ire is raised, they are an unstoppable force. The sheepdogs can not fulfill their duties without these men. Most of us here represent this group.
Interesting expansion on the topic fren and I definitely can see your prospective on that group. Thank you for the addition!
You can argue that the sheepdogs are as easily deceived by the wolves as the sheep are. We see this in every revolution where the authoritarians come into overt control and the sheepdogs, acting too late to respond to tyranny, are replaced by minions of the wolves. Or even worse, act against their conscience and become wolves themselves. It is the Josey Wales of the world that are humanities true bulwark against tyranny.
I agree, those sheepdogs who lack a strong moral compass and will to carry on with the fight can be easily crushed by what they perceive to be insurmountable pressure. They then run the risk of reverting back into the wolves in sheep(dogs) clothes.
I did like your post though. Hope my comments didnt give a different impression. It was a thought provoking post for me. And Im a big Josey Wales fan.
Another movie example of this type of man would be Jeremiah Johnson. Stoic. Resolved. And really I think it exemplifies most Americans when we are pushed and its our turn to play.
The true sheep are Qs 4 to 6%.
I like thought provoking dialog and enjoyed reading your comments. I take no offense to what you said at all fren, so no worries. Conversations like these are what makes this place special. In my opinion we both come out of this with alot to think about and that's a win win in my book. I hope you have a great rest of your day and a relaxing weekend ahead. Furthermore, I also enjoy the movie Jose Wales, and his banter with his native American companion also makes me laugh out loud.
I'm just one of those people that wants to be left alone. I don't need luxury or monetary wealth, I just want to exist in my little world without the deep state constantly shitting and pissing on me.
The last part of your comment is most likely what brings us different categories of these "types" together, United under a single goal.
I just want to garden and share food with people and I have an ancient death cult that's bent on world domination trying to cripple, kill, or enslave me. Fuck bro, just let me grow cherry tomatoes in peace.
Lol Yep I hear you! The laugh was for your wording not to undermine or make light of your statement on the struggle. Hope your garden has a bummer crop this year and are able to bless the people you share your harvest with fren. Thanks again!
They do not believe there is ONE God so he has given them over to a reprobate mind!
"A Reprobate mind" excellent verbiage fren.
https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/Reprobate
If one refuses to believe evil is in the world, they view good as being non existent too. The sheep say things like, “there is nothing I can do”, “nothing will ever happen”, and so on. While many things are happening.
Amazing stuff. Where are the shepherds? Those who allow the flock to build up idols within their hearts are also responsible, even more responsible. They are given the ability to lead a flock of mindless sheep into a direction of peace, yet are they on purpose leading to a desolate place while slaughtering the sheep that question?
Just like this Western civilization issue we are in, the way to fix it is from the bottom up. Too many want to blame the top. Blame God or their neighbors for the torment they are in and the torment on the horizon. To have peace in the war doesn’t necessarily mean you will have peace without war. Those who have peace with love will conquer in any situation.
In politics we are seeing local governments being changed, we are seeing the enemy desperately trying to keep their path on Marxism alive. Just like that we have to do little things within in ourselves to change and God will see the little things. ;)
Outstanding addition to this topic fren, you are spot on with changing ourselves and the people around our spheres of influence for the better first. As I say all the time to my family and friends "The old man must die and then be reborn with a new state of mind". That's not to say we reach a plateau and we can stop pursuing our ascension, it is a daily battle we all must undergo to become "Christ like". I thank you for your thoughts and wish you Godspeed and God's Blessings on your journey. Again, Excellent statements fren, bravo.
Nice post, nice topic discussion by Lt. Col. Grossman. Reminds me to stay more vigilant and ready when I'm out, something I've been slacking on recently.
Im glad you enjoyed it and I agree, it can be a daunting task keeping vigilant and we all could use a reminder of why we do it from time to time. Thank you for your compliment on the post fren!