Why the name “Sheepdog Self Protection Inc?”
On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
(From the book, On Combat, by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman)
“Honour never grows old, and honour rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself.”
“The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?”
- William J. Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy, November 24, 1997
Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident. They are the sheep.
Then there are the wolves. The wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. There are evil people 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.
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 are a wolf. 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. You live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.
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. The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog as they look a lot like the wolf. They have the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot, and will not ever harm the sheep.
The sheepdog disturbs the sheep. The sheepdog is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. 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.