Wolves, Sheep and Sheepdogs

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 helped to put together the first Iraq elections, January of 2005.

It was written to Ms. Jill Edwards, at that time a student at the University of Washington who did not want to honor Medal of Honor winner USMC Colonel Greg "Pappy" Boyington (Black Sheep Squadron, WWII.)

Ms. Edwards and other students and faculty at UW expressed the opinion that those who serve in the U.S. armed services are not good role models for students.

Here's Grennel's response:

To: Jill Edwards, (student, University of Washington)
Subject: Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs

Dear Miss Edwards, I read of your "student activity" regarding the proposed memorial to Col. Greg Boyington, USMC and a Medal of Honor winner. 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.

In a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997 William J. Bennet made the following observations:

"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 uncharted 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 lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not 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.

For instance, the students at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances They 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. But when the school was under attack, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways. Those once-ignored 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.
Now, here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently: The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, while the sheepdog lives for that day.

After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes"

The sheepdogs 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 a 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 destroys 98 percent of the sheep.

There was research 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 that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior, and lack of awareness. They chose their victims exactly like big cats do in Africa, selecting 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.

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke.

Here is a point I like 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 didn'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 sheep dog 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."

Like good sheepdogs, we warriors 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 while 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 thousands -- millions -- of American sheepdogs who permit you, Ms. Edwards, the freedom to express even bad ideas."

Wedding Cake

So I've decided on the style of wedding cake I want. Best news is, it looks like it's something I could do at home. I bet I could even find a fairly new kitty litter box for free on craigslist.

Click Pic for Instructions

I reached back like a pimp and I slapped dat ho

So yeah, running a music server from home so I can listen to good stuff at work. I apologize if I don't seem terribly dedicated to the job.

Check it out, it's Boyz-N-The Hood!

The Sh!ts Goin Down...Ya Better Be Ready

Yeah, sadly I owned that CD in high school. Maybe it was a cassette tape. Yeah, pretty sure it was. Anyway, sure is a good thing I grew up. I'd really hate myself if I still listened to that junk.

So I finally went to my boss yesterday and asked him what was going on with my status as a contractor. I was tired of waiting for him to come to me. I found out why he hadn't come to me.

He was trying to avoid the awkward situation of telling me that I'm going to be unemployed in 5 weeks. Yep, that's right. They do not have the money in the budget to bring me on as an employee-contractor. Yet they do have money allocated to contractors. They can only keep a contractor for one year. My year is up on April 23rd. So I'll get dumped to the wayside, and get replaced with another contractor, who may or may not get hired on at the end of his contract depending on what they decide they have room in their budget for. Never mind the fact that the company made $1.13 Billion in profits last year. Employees just got 5 digit bonuses. Yet somehow, I get thrown in the unemployment line because they can't afford to hire me on.

Now, a little bit of history.

When I was brought on a year ago, it was a 6 month contract to hire position. I didn't really want to go 6 months before being hired on, but I figured for the pay, I could deal with it. It's not like I've ever had a problem getting hired on before. Hell I was star employee at the last place.

That 6 months approached, so I in turn approached my boss, asking him what was going on with getting hired on. That's when he told me they won't be hiring anyone on as an employee. They'll be brought on as an employee contractor. The main difference being that the employee contractor doesn't get sick pay, no employee discount, and no tuition reimbursement. You're paid by the company, not a contract agency, but somehow they can do this by classifying you as a different type of employee. Oh yeah, and you don't get severance pay if they get rid of you.

So once my boss realized it was time to hire me on, he panicked because he wasn't ready. He called my agency and extended the contract to 1 year. So now, they changed the terms of my contract (note that I never once signed anything agreeing to this.) I don't know if I have any legal recourse against them since they changed the contract without my approval. Not like I'd go through with it anyway.

So now my year is almost up, and all of a sudden they can't afford to hire me on. So I sit here at work, still working on projects they've assigned to me in the last week. Doing things to help the company in the future that I won't be part of. It's tough. I can't afford not to, because if I say screw you guys...they'd probably end my contract right now. So I give the fakest smile I can conjure up, I laugh at my boss' jokes, I do my best to show them they're losing a valuable asset. It's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my life.

Next week I'll try something even harder. I'm going to try and find a job in this economy. I really don't think I'm going to find something that pays as well as this job. I don't know how that's going to work, because I can't be picky, I've got to have a new job lined up in a month. If I don't make what I'm making now, then I'm screwed because between bills, college loans, car payment, car maintenance, and rent, I'm stretched about as thin as I can be while still making all my payments. So it should be interesting.

Can ya tell I'm skeered?

Well, I think I'll go work on my resume now. Nothing like getting paid to look for a job with another company.

Slappy Stick

Stealin it back...old skool

1. I'm looking forward to getting myself back on a "normal" day shift schedule next week. That means waking up at 9 or 10 o'clock...yay!

2. I don't handle work very well. I have way too many other interests. Funny how I can't partake in those interests without the money that only work provides. Oh why couldn't I have just had a rich relative that I never knew die and give me all their money?

3. Flying is something I could do every day... but I don't, because it's expensive. (Yeah I changed this one a bit. We already discussed pigs in a blanket yesterday.)

4. Warmth and sunlight are things that keep me from sleeping during the day. Damn you graveyard!

5. Dana Porter here I come! In approximately 10 hours.

6. I have 0 tattoo(s), and probably never will. I'm a wimp, plus they probably wouldn't look too good on me.



7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to my last night on graveyard (and Dana hopefully getting some sleep, she was dozing in and out when I left the house), tomorrow my plans include getting a bit of sleep, then driving to Oaky Park and Sunday through Tuesday, we hunt for the perfect wedding venue.

Well sumbitch...I done been tagged

I've Been Tagged...
by the underposting, self-proclaimed "over the newness of it all" Sarah of Kidultery fame.

THE RULES:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you. (✓)
2. Post THE RULES on your blog. (✓)
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog. (✓)
4. Tag 7 people and link to them. (Yeah, I only know 3 people with blogs, counting myself...yeah I suck, and they've already been tagged by Sarah!)
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged. (Refer to Rule 4.)

1. I almost stole a Baby Jesus from a community nativity scene. Once realizing I could pay direly for that, I put it back, and took the donkey. It's head fell off.

2. I never went to band camp.

3. This one time, I was in an airplane, and I was asleep. Then I woke up, and the bail-out light was on, and the guy that was supposed to be next to me wasn't, so I almost pulled the ejection handles, but I'm glad I didn't. Turns out we just lost all electrical power in the plane so they were using that light to see. Coulda used a wake-up call...

4. My favorite secret indulgence is probably pigs in a blanket. Only I make them jumbo sized and use full sized hot dogs, then stuff them with cheese, then use an entire croissant triangle from the pillsbury dude for each one. It's entirely feasible for me to eat an entire package of hot dogs in one sitting this way. I've done it. I kinda wanna do it again.

5. I watched every episode of every season of 24 at work. In fact, one week I finished an entire season at work. I pick the best jobs.

6. One time, I got a gun pulled on me in a brothel.

7. I got to fly a B-52 for 40 minutes one time.