I couldn't resist the opportunity to make fun of sheepdogs and CCW Badges. :laugh:
Ok, so.its becoming clear we have a few schools of thought here. But the one that scares ME the most is "yeah, I carry, but due to the potential for liability, sticky situations that might turn bad, no chance of being a hero, and all kinds of people labeling me a mall ninja, I will never ever even present weapon in public." Strange philosophy there.
I'm a little surprised by what I'm reading here.
I don't know whether I fall into your particular definition of "sheepdog" or not, but here are my thoughts.
I CCW when I can, especially when I'm out with my kids or girlfriend.
If I (think) I see something bad happening, I get involved. Most of the time my involvement is simply getting my kids to safety and then watching the situation (is that couple arguing going to turn physical? That guy seems out of place in this environment....etc) until it resolves. I've called the police several times for various things...most of the times it turned out to be nothing, but then again I've testified in court for what I've witnessed as well.
I have also gotten involved to the point of simply walking by and making my presence known. Often times my presence (I'm a very large guy) can make someone straighten up, or clarify in my mind that it is a benign situation.
I have also caught bad-guys (teenagers in this case) stealing things from cars, and I've chased them 2 blocks before physically catching one of them.
I guess I am the type of guy who you would want around if you, your kids, or your wife was getting hassled by dirtballs, if your house was being broken into, or if your car was getting stolen. I'm even the type of guy who you would want to be around if your kids were at the high school football game and getting a little rowdy/rude with others...happened just Friday night and I told them to knock it off...they said "sorry sir" and then did. Yeah, I get involved. Why? Because I'm a man. I'm not a hero, and I'm not going to pull out my glock and start a body count (never even been close to pulling my CCW) unless my life, or someone elses life, is in imminent danger.
But, if you, your family, or anyone else needs help and I can provide that help, then I'll be there. My CCW is just like the fire extinguisher, first aid kit, rope, flashlight, and tire jack in my truck - - - a tool that I can take care of my family, myself, and anyone else with.
I guess I'm just a little disappointed with what I'm reading here because it seems that there are lot of guys out there who wouldn't get involved if my kids/girlfriend needed some help and I wasn't around.
Another concern I have with maintaining a "Sheepdog" attitude (remember how Grossman defined that term - it had nothing to do with civilians per se - it had to do with a mindset that typified those who served, who stood on the walls) - is that it may distract one from the other important ways in which we can "defend" ourselves and our loved ones. That is, a "sheepdog" (again defaulting to Grossman), by its nature and by its mission, does not practice avoidance or de-escalation, it practices confrontation. For a civilian, such a strategy is likely to increase the danger to those you love who may be with you.
I'm new here, so please forgive me if this topic has been talked to death already...
I've seen a few comments since I've been on board here that seem to put down the sheepdog mentality as somehow over-zealous, over-tough, or dangerous. I'm not sure I understand where this come from. I have 16 years of LEO experience, and have carried off duty for quite a while now. To me, the sheepdog mentality equates to "condition yellow," aware, alert, looking for trouble so you and your family might AVOID it, not plunge headlong into it. Stay ahead of the criminal mentality, and you stand your best chance of not becoming a victim. But nonetheless, there seem to be some here who equate the sheepdog with the would-be John Wayne, supercop without a badge. So my question, though maybe poorly explained, is this:
What is the real definition of the sheepdog mentality here? And once we decide that, is it better to have that attitude than to remain armed sheep?
I'm new here, so please forgive me if this topic has been talked to death already...
I've seen a few comments since I've been on board here that seem to put down the sheepdog mentality as somehow over-zealous, over-tough, or dangerous. I'm not sure I understand where this come from. I have 16 years of LEO experience, and have carried off duty for quite a while now. To me, the sheepdog mentality equates to "condition yellow," aware, alert, looking for trouble so you and your family might AVOID it, not plunge headlong into it. Stay ahead of the criminal mentality, and you stand your best chance of not becoming a victim. But nonetheless, there seem to be some here who equate the sheepdog with the would-be John Wayne, supercop without a badge. So my question, though maybe poorly explained, is this:
What is the real definition of the sheepdog mentality here? And once we decide that, is it better to have that attitude than to remain armed sheep?
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