Support the Military: Sheep, Wolves & Sheepdogs

Sheep, Wolves & Sheepdogs


This probably is one of the most well-crafted and poignant essays

I've read about our broken society. Take the time to read it

thoroughly--you will enjoy it.



Received from Marybeth Laguna, widow of Art Laguna (a true American

hero, good friend of Charles Grennel, and sheepdog) who gave his life

flying and fighting in Iraq in January of '07



This letter was written by Charles Grennel and his comrades who are

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, January of 2005. It was written to Jill

Edwards, a student at the University of Washington who did not want

to honor Medal of Honor recipient USMC Colonel Greg Boyington. Ms.

Edwards and other students (and faculty) do not think those who serve

in the U.S. armed services are good role models.

_________



To: Edwards, Jill (student, UW)

Subject: Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs



Miss Edwards, I read of your student activity regarding the

proposed memorial to Col. Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor

winner. I suspect you will receive a bellyful of angry e-mails from

conservative folks 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 naivete. 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 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. 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 unchartered 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<

Yes, truly a well articulated essay!

EXCELLENT!