| Back OpEdNews | |||||||
|
Original Content at https://www.opednews.com/articles/American-Sniper--Creatin-by-Dwayne-Hunn-American-Sniper_American-World-Service-Corps_American-World-Service-Corps-Congressional-Proposa_Americorps-150126-271.html (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). |
|||||||
January 26, 2015
American Sniper -- Creating More Sheep, Wolves, or Sheepdogs Worldwide?
By Dwayne Hunn
Are we a nation of sheep, sheepdogs, and 1% wolves? How does a nation grow the good and reduce the bad traits among those herded groups? Is it possible to do so? How well is America doing in building a healthier herd?
::::::::
Early in the movie there's a schoolyard bully beating up a little boy. Into the melee flies the older brother, maybe 11 or 12, who quickly pulverizes the bully.
Then comes a tough, strong looking fathers sitting at the dinner table glaring at his boys, the younger one smarting a blackened eye, "There are three kinds of people in the world: Sheep, wolves, and sheep dogs."
He takes off his thick belt, places it on the table and says, "I'm not going to raise any sheep, and I'll beat you if you act like a wolf."
Around 2012 Brett McKay took a handgun class at Tulsa's U.S. Shooting Academy. One of his instructors attributed to retired Army Lt. Col. and author Dave Grossman this: "There are three kinds of people in the world: Sheep, wolves, and sheep dogs."
Those words gave Brett Mckay a lot of food for thought. With Americans Sniper flooding minds and eyes, it should provide more than just popcorn food for thoughtful Americans.
According to McKay's artofmanliness website, most people are sheep--kind, gentle, and peaceful. The conflicts they face rarely rise to the level of life and death, good vs. evil. The sheep generally try to do the right thing and prefer just "getting along" to engagement.
Sheep dogs have "a deep love for their fellow" sheep, or citizens. They often bravely "walk into the heart of darkness," and "seem" to often walk out unscathed.
On the other hand:
"Wolves are bad guys. They exist in the shadows outside the porous perimeter of safety that surrounds the sheep. Wolves are the sociopaths who commit violent crimes or ignore moral or ethical boundaries with impunity. They take advantage of the sheep's tendency to be inexperienced with evil, unprepared for attack, and caught flat-footed when a crisis arises. This allows these evil men to, as Grossman puts it, "feed on the [sheep] without mercy."www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYBQFRfzbiw
Americans Sniper doggedly portrays what kind of "people" Chris Kyle was. To friend and foe, he became The Legend, "thought to be the deadliest sniper in American military history with 160 confirmed 255 probable kills." He did it to protect his "brothers" from the wolves. There is no doubt that he is a hero to those families whose sons and daughters he helped protect and return home.
On the other hand, what do you think the nuclear families of those 250 probable kills consider him?
A sheep, wolf, or sheep dog? Would a tough, strong Iraqi father, with belt on table, say to his two young sons, "I'm not going to raise any sheep, and I'll beat you if you act like a wolf." Would that father turn out sheepdogs to go after Americans? Would the world's Biggest Umpire label our armed yanks as --sheep, wolves, or sheepdogs?
If I were taking a son or daughter to this movie and they were in the indestructible ages of life, for their future security, I hope I'd prod them to think critically and demand evidence for a complicated, mine-filled world strewn with various shades of sheep, wolves, and sheep dogs.
And I'd hope that my indestructible love ones would be aware that wolves often lead while wearing lamb's wool clothing.
Over 8,263 US troops, contractors and allies have died in Iraq since 2003. It was a war that had nothing to do with 911, weapons of mass destruction, or any other relevant reason to kill and maim us and them.
Were we a nation of sheep lulled into a phony war by Grossman's estimated 1% of the wolves roaming among us?
Did we not have enough sheep dogs, because too many citizens did not want to become engaged enough in public policy issues? Did our citizenry's desire to sheepishly get-along cost them and loved ones in the longer run?
Today we have too many Gold Star Moms and Dads, maimed and crippled, PTSDers (Post Traumatic Stress Disorderers) who sometimes harm or kill those helping them, growing bands of crazed terrorists, because we didn't have enough sheep dogs barking at the wolves in an administration that cared little about the terrorizing repercussions that erupt from duping sheep into a trumped-up war from which they and theirs were spared.
If you are taking indestructible loved ones to Americans Sniper, please push them to think about the wolves who caused the war, the gentle sheep who let it happen, and the lack of sufficient public policy sheep dogs who could have kept us out of another unrequired war.
There are more productive and healthier ways to serve nation and world, as proposed in People's Lobby's (PLI) America's World Service Corps (AWSC) Congressional Proposal. By pushing your community and congressperson to make the AWSC happen, you increase the number of sheep dogs on patrol; and you do it with unbloodied heroic National Service that builds and makes friends everywhere.
Unfortunately, filmmakers don't make many movies about the troops that make up the AWSC-- Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Head Start, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, full time aides in effective local non-profits, teachers' aides in needy schools, etc. Think they should?
Authors Website: http://peopleslobby.us/
Authors Bio:
Dwayne served in the Peace Corps in the slums of Mumbai, India, worked several Habitat Projects, and was on the start-up team of the California Conservation Corps. He has a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, has been a builder, teacher, political organizer, small businessman, affordable housing developer, and a rock-piler at Rubel's Castle. Some pics and stories at http://peopleslobby.us/more-projects/rubelia.
Some story tidbits about his recent well-regarded book about Rubel's Castle are available at http://peopleslobby.us/more-projects/rubelia.
In 2013 Rubelia was designated a National Historic Monument, right up there with Hearst Castle. CBS clip: Rubel's Castle is on verge of listing on National Registry http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/08/07/rubel-castle-in-glendora-on-the-verge-of-getting-national-historic-recognition/
Dwayne is presently Executive Director of People's Lobby Inc (PLI, 501c4)and People's Lobby's Education Foundation (PLEF, 501c3). You can read PLI's American World Service Corps Congressional Proposal (AWSC) at
http://peopleslobby.us/awsc-congressional-proposal
Rebuilding People'Lobby web site is available at http://peopleslobby.us/
Congresswoman Woolsey (D, CA) offered to introduce it in the 111th Congress, then retracted. Please contact your Congressional reps and ask them to become an original sponsor or cosponsor. The AWSC citizen-initiated congressional proposals could be, with you pushing your representatives, among the most significant legislation passed and implemented in decades. Imagine having 21 million Americans cost effectively doing good at home or abroad over the next 27 years.
In December 2009 Ralph Nader choose People's Lobby's book, "Ordinary People Doing the Extraordinary, The Story of Ed & Joyce Koupal's People's Lobby" as one of the Ten Best Books to Read for 2009. You can purchase the book from PeoplesLobby.us or learn more at http://peopleslobby.us/more-projects/books.
"This country runs on laws. If you want to change the country, write its laws," People's Lobby's founders Ed and Joyce Koupal used to say. If you want to enlighten public policy, involve millions of Americans in addressing public needs, prepare for climate weirding, etc., help make it happen. The AWSC addresses with people action many of our most pressing and costly needs. To sign the reopened American World Service Corps petition/letter, which contacts Congress for you: Paste http://www.change.org/petitions/view/field_21_million_american_world_service_corps_volunteers_over_the_next_27_years
Please help make the AWSC happen. To learn more about People's Lobby, visit the web site at www.Peopleslobby.us.
Recent books both available on line and from publishers: Every Town Needs a Castle (Prelude to next book, Every Country Needs a World Service Corps)
http://peopleslobby.us/more-projects/rubelia
Ordinary People Doing the Extraordinary (Nader's 2009 TopTen Books to Read List)
http://peopleslobby.us/archives/736
Library: http://peopleslobby.us/organizations/peoples-lobby/library