If you have heard this phrase, you’ll know that it is intended to divide the world into those three categories: Wolves, the predators--and not the ecologically necessary ones. Just plain bad guys; perhaps even evil. Sheep, the wolves’ victims. Not always the weak and unwilling to fight back; just powerless against their wolves. And the sheepdogs; those of us who protect the sheep from the wolves.

This phrase, this concept, is often associated with the military or law enforcement. They are legitimately seen as sheepdogs. And being a sheepdog, the projector, is often associated with the male’s traditional role in our society. And these roles are often seen as static; we are one of the three, and that’s just part of who we are. As useful as this three-part concept is in helping us to understand our world, we need to understand that these roles are fluid, not necessarily gender-specific, and anyone can be any one of the three today. And a different one tomorrow.

And it is not just individuals who can legitimately occupy these roles. Hitler was a wolf, and an evil one at that. Poland was a sheep. Eventually, the Allies became the sheepdogs. And inside Poland, there were wolves, the collaborators; sheep, those who felt helpless in the face of Nazi terror; and the sheepdogs, those who did not feel helpless, and joined the Resistance. It is not hard to imagine that in some Polish families during that time, that all three categories, wolves, sheep and sheepdogs, were represented by different family members.

The most timid Father could become a sheepdog if his family’s home is being invaded. The quietest Mom could become a sheepdog if her child is not receiving needed medical attention. And any sibling could become a sheepdog if another sibling was being bullied.

So, Will, I get it about this. What I don’t get is why we are talking about it. Why? Because we all are surrounded by wolves. The wolves include massive and mounting debt caused by runaway spending at all levels of government. Politicians who advance their careers by ignoring painful problems that require immediate, but unpopular, solutions are wolves. Anyone in the public eye who is pretending to be dealing with issues by leaning on cliches, slogans and half-truths. Identity politics is a wolf. And the growing number of people and organizations with their hands out, demanding something they did not earn, and do not deserve.

Those are the wolves. And we are all in danger of being the sheep. Who among us will step up to being a sheepdog? Not the kind of heroic sheepdog who gets admiration during the action, and high praise and rewards afterwards. No, I am talking about the continuous hard work, the satisfying hard work, of fighting these wolves, and making for better communities and a better America. And with that, a better world.

This is a lot of what Revolution 2.0 is about; identifying the wolves and calling sheep to be sheepdogs to protect us from the very wolves our society has created.

Two main tenets of the Revolution 2.0 belief set:

Personal Responsibility; practice it, teach it and

Be Your Brother’s Keeper.

Tenet no. 1. Applies here because we are not called to be sheep. This is different than being a sheepdog. You can, and must, take personal responsibility and resist being a sheep without necessarily taking the extra step of being a sheepdog.

Tenet no. 2 If you have time and talents to offer, be your Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper by being a sheepdog. If you have the capability, and many of us do, I don’t see this as optional. The sheep, your neighbors and fellow citizens, need you. Step up to being a protective sheepdog.

Suggested link: Common Sense and Politics.

Now, as always, please do contact me about anything. Respond in my Revolution 2.0 blog,