I have come to despise the term " Sheepdog." Although the initial analogy as proposed by LTC Dave Grossman in his book " On Killing" was intriguing, Grossman's intent has been perverted into some sort of call for hypervigilant, wannabe SWAT operators to walk among us. It has bred a culture of ignorance and moral ambivalence.
Originally Grossman was merely pointing out that there are people in society that are willing to commit to different levels of involvement when it comes to violence and violent acts. He postulated that the majority of the general public are "sheep" that neither seek nor notice violence. A small percentage of the public are "wolves" that have no qualms about visiting violence on others. Finally he identified the "sheepdog." These are the protectors, fireman, police, first responders, those that protect the "sheep."
There are those in the circle jerk, insular world that is the 2A community that have latched on to this concept and run with it. However as is usual with the lazy and the ignorant they decline to put out the effort to accomplish the mission. They choose to wear "Molan Labe" t shirts to their open carry night while neglecting to get in any basic additional training past the laughably low standard of an online CCW class. As I have said in the past I am not an advocate of mandatory training but if you are going to style yourself a protector of the people you should be pretty darn familiar with the law and the consequences of your actions.
I made the mistake of getting into a "discussion" the other day with a gentleman who insisted that it was morally and ethically ok to find an intruder in your business, leave the property, arm yourself, return and execute the offender. All this without notifying law enforcement. Why? Because it was his stuff and no one has the right to his stuff. That's all fine and well but NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS BRO!! Because that's all it is, feelings. The law is not on your side, morality is not on your side, and good sound tactics are not on your side. When did we go from preparing to protect our family to posturing and preening about being the shield of civilization?
These wannabes heap scorn and derision upon the so called "snowflakes" in liberal society for their thin skin and hurt feelings but are the first to start the name calling when someone calls into question their sketchy choices in carry gun or poor holster selection. Because the modern day sheepdog is not pragmatic, its about the coolest Instagram picture and the latest bell or whistle for your short barreled rifle. They are all about the "feels".
You know who is a "sheepdog?" The guy who raises a family while going to work everyday. The guy who makes an honest living. The guy, who while not bringing attention to himself or his actions, quietly gets the job done and gets outside his comfort zone as often as possible. The guy who incrementally and with relentless forward progress makes himself just a little more dangerous. It can be something as small as choosing an apple over a donut. Life choices, good attitude, and a quiet professionalism make a sheep dog.
So come down from "Code Orange", put your nylon holster in the trash and get some training. Quit being an assclown and represent us better.
