Sheepdogs and Sheep

I attended a few hours of training today during work.  The training is called, Sheepdog Seminars:Building a Community of Leaders who are Called to Protect Others.

I have grown in my profession knowing the analogy of the sheepdog.  It is something law enforcement types hold strongly to and associate with as a group and individuals.  The analogy was brought to our attention by Lt. Col Dave Grossman (Ret.) in his book On Combat, written after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.  In the book, he describes the analogy as:

"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? Then you are a sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero’s path. "

Grossman was one of the speakers at the training I attended.  I could only stay for the first half, due to needing to get back on the street and respond to calls for service.  The training was hosted by a local church and it was aimed primarily at church-going people.  It did not hide this fact.  Part of the advertisement on the training was that it would discuss violence at places of worship and how church-goers can be better prepared for impending violence, both at places of worship, and in their every day lives.  Here is a quote from their website:

""We have now documented over 622 violent deaths on church and faith based property since 1999. In addition, thousands of sex crimes have occurred on church and faith-based property. We beg you, we plead with you - in tears - for the sake of your precious flock, do something before the enemy strikes your people. Do not fall prey to the mentality of the people in Amos's day, who said: "Nothing bad will happen to us" (Amos 9:10)"

I learned a lot while there.  But I admit a certain level of discomfort I feel when I am in a church.  I feel that I am intruding in a place saved for those who worship God.  And by worship, I mean in whatever accepted way that church has defined it as in the larger mass religion sense of the word.  So while I am inside, I feel that I cannot be the real me.  That the person I am is not acceptable and I must modify myself in order to be there.  I do not know why I think and behave this way.  Perhaps it is because of the sour disapproving looks I get from church goers when I am me.  And, as a result, it leaves a sour taste in my mind for how closed minded people at church can be rather than accepting, i.e. not hypocritical.

Anyway, the training.  It felt like a fire and brimstone sort of sermon. The end of days is approaching and are you ready?! I learned about mass shootings, i.e. massacres from all over the world and that the U.S. does not have the worst ones in recent history.  Here is a brief list of the ones mentioned at the training (I will not type out the terrorist's names, they do not deserve to have their names recorded or ever spoken of again):

• Norway 2011:   Regjeringskvartalet and Workers' Youth League (AUF)-run summer camp (77 died by one man that day)

• Germany 2009: Winnenden school shooting (16 died by a minor-aged person)

• Germany 2002: Erfurt school shooting (18 died by a single shooter)

• Russia 2004: Beslan school massacre (330+ died by multiple organised terrorists, some of which escaped)

• Pakistan 2014: Peshwar school massacre (145 died by multiple organised terrorists)

That is just a small list of the much longer list of massacre violent events in recent human history that were discussed.  Granted, some were discussed in more detail.  With maps of the buildings, locations of killers and the response of military and first responders to the incidents, as well as the national government's immediate reaction.

After listening to stories like this for hours, it can begin to gnaw at you a bit.  I found the incidents to be both horrifying and interesting.  Things to learn from in order to better prepare ourselves and to try to understand the reason for the incidents in the first place.  Grossman stated that today, the upcoming generation is so saturated with media (TV shows, movies and video games) that espouses violence and desensitizes death, including making law enforcement out to be the evil/bad/antagonist so often that they have lost their way.  That they do not understand the importance of life versus death and the impact of violence upon others.

Now I have heard this argument many times.  Especially growing up when rap music was on the upswing and conservative politicians and groups claimed that bad words made our youth do bad things.  And that TV shows had to have a rating system in order to prevent children from viewing violence.  After doing a Google search on violent video games, I came across this interesting article published in Time Magazine.  It stated, 

"..the American Psychological Association (APA) has joined the debate, arguing in a research review that playing violent games is linked to aggression, but that there’s insufficient evidence to link the games to actual criminal violence."

As a person that does not play video games at all.  Yep, you heard me.  At all.  They simply hold no interest for me.  Why would I want to play something on a screen inside a building when I could be reading a book, or, even better, outside playing and interacting with my spiritual happy place- NATURE!  Therefore, I cannot confirm or deny how video games impact a person's violent and/or aggressive nature.  Most of my friends do not play video games either.  And those that do, do not spend much time on them.  My personal opinion is that they are a waste of time and cause people to be lazy, stagnant and anti-nature.  But that is my own personal opinion.  And, as we all know, opinions are not facts.  And they may not be right.

Some more Googling of violence in the media and impact on youth came up with the following:

• The Impact of Media Violence on Children and Adolescents (by the American Academy of Children & Adolescent Psychiatry)

• Violence in the Media (published in Psychiatric Times. 2012)

• Citation for: "The Myth of Violence" by Trend, David. 2007.

And so on.  

I honestly have not done much research on the topic.  I know, based on my personal experiences with the public while at work, I have noticed a shift in our culture.  People seem to expect law enforcement to work wonders.  As if when you call for help, and when the police arrive, your problem will be magically solved.  Proof!  Solved.  Done.  Police in the movies do it so fast.  So why cannot the ones in real life do it, too?  What?!  You mean if I call the police for a problem, I may actually have to take action myself?  What?!  I may have to take responsibility for my actions and have consequences for them?!  Inconceivable!!  Yes, media.  Thank you for distorting how people think the law enforcement world really works.  Here are some perfect examples of fucked up police perceptions:

• CSI TV shows.  Fuck no CSI shit does not happen like that or that damn fast.

• NCIS TV show:  Really?  Really?  Do I need to say more?

• James Patterson books

• Any film on LE other than "End of Watch"...and even parts of that were not quite right

I am tired.  So very tired.  Of having my profession attacked.  Of being told to be guilty because of the color of my skin.  Do I think their is systemic racism in the American culture.  Sure.  Do I think the solution is violence and beating down everyone because of it?  Nope.  Was I raised in a privileged white middle class manner with two caring and loving parents that provided for me and attempted to have me experience as much that life can offer?  Yes.  Do I feel guilty for it?  No.  Should I?  Why should I?  Instead of beating everyone down.  Why don't we build everyone up?  Why don't we offer solutions that do not involve violence.  That do not involve killing others?

*sigh*  I am just tired.  I want to move to a cabin in the woods far away from all this vitriol.  Away from people.  I want to be in nature at peace.

There are times I feel caught.  I have friends that are very conservative in their views.  And I have friends that are very liberal in their views.  After having lived in Idaho for years and working the profession I do, my views have changed over time.  And now I feel caught in my thought process since I see both sides of the argument for a variety of issues:

• Should we arm our teachers in anticipation of a school massacre? (And by arm I mean a tool to harm an intruder: OC, taser, gun, etc.)
• Should everyone have equal access to guns and be allowed to carry them openly and/or concealed?
• Do we stand for the Star Spangled Banner or take a knee?
• Do we let refugees from the Middle East areas in scott free or do we attempt to check for terrorists?

And so on.  Since these are all deep topics and I have no intention of sharing my opinion on any of them.  Let us end with a smile on our face: