This letter was written by Charles
Grennel and his comrades, veterans of the Global War On Terror.
Grennel is an Army Reservist who spent two years in Iraq and was a
principal in putting together the first Iraq elections in January
2005.
They wrote it to Jill Edwards, student at the University of
Washington, who did not want to honor Medal of Honor winner USMC
Colonel Greg Boyington. Ms. Edwards, other students and faculty do
not think those who serve in the U.S. armed services are good role
models.
To: Jill Edwards, Student, University of Washington
Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
Miss Edwards, I read of your student activity regarding the proposed
memorial to Colonel Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor
winner. I suspect you will receive many angry emails from
conservative people like me.
You may be too young to appreciate fully the sacrifices of
generations of servicemen and servicewomen on whose shoulders you
and your fellow students stand. I forgive you for the untutored ways
of youth and your naiveté. It may be that you are simply a sheep.
There's no dishonor in being a sheep, as long as you know and accept
what you are.
William J. Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy
November 24, 1997 said "Most of the people in our society are sheep.
They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one
another by accident. 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, not capable of hurting each other
except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.
Then there are the wolves who 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. If you have no capacity for violence
then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If one has a
capacity for violence and no empathy for one’s 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 unsheltered 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 kid's 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. So they
choose 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 sheepdog that 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 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? 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." 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 would destroy
98-percent of the population.
Research was 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 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 they learned of the other three passenger planes
that had been used as weapons, Todd and the other passengers
confronted the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation
occurred among the passengers -- athletes, business people and
parents -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the
wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.
Edmund Burke said "There is no safety for honest men except by
believing all possible evil of evil men." Here is the point I want
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
don'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 sheepdog 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 OK to be a sheep, but do not kick the sheepdog. Indeed, the
sheepdog may just run a little harder, strive to protect a little
better and be fully prepared to pay an ultimate price in battle and
spirit with the sheep moving from "Baa" to "Thanks.”
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 millions of
American sheepdogs who permit you the freedom to express even bad
ideas.