For years, we've heard the self-styled "sheepdogs" tell us that they stand ready to protect the "sheeple" from the "wolves." The concept, popularized by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman in his writings on combat and law enforcement, paints a simplistic picture of society where the brave few must guard the helpless masses from malevolent threats.
While originally intended as a framework for understanding violent encounters, it has been contorted into a justification for militia fantasies and performative patriotism. This pseudo-patriotic LARP—rooted in para-military bravado and chest-thumping—has been used as justification for behavior outside of norms and common sense. These self-proclaimed defenders drape themselves in flags and call themselves warriors, yet where are they now, as the real wolves gnaw at the foundation of democracy?
The threat is now!
As the new administration and an unelected Lex Luthor cosplayer who cheats on video games dismantle the government piece by piece, gut FEMA, undermine federal agencies, and openly suggest constitutional amendments that would make America an ad hoc monarchy, the sheepdogs are nowhere to be found. As executive orders overstep constitutional limits, as the CDC is kneecapped amid the looming threats of H5N1 and other deadly pathogens, the so-called guardians of the republic are asleep at the wheel, the time for heroic sheepdogs to stand in the breach is upon us. Instead of barking, we hear crickets.
The most distressing part of this for me has been the disgusting commentary and behavior around the disabled community that has been on full display. I may be Pollyannaish, but I always thought that the sheepdog mentality was rooted in protecting the most vulnerable. If it is not our disabled and other vulnerable populations; what the heck is it about! Since starting my company NULU, I have become exceptionally close to many parts of the disabled community, and this has shaped our development around helping and supporting them. The desire to help instead of ridicule is not a crazy concept or even “woke.” The desire to lift up instead of excluding seems much more like a sheepdog than buying into an us versus them narrative.
The problem with the sheepdog mentality is that it was never about protection, it was about power. Many of these self-appointed enforcers aren't fighting wolves; they are wolves in sheepdog clothing. They're picking out which members of the herd they think should be culled by deciding who they feel are American. They have always been selective in their outrage, quick to brutalize protesters but slow to react when authoritarian overreach threatens the very Constitution they claim to uphold. They have convinced themselves that their role is to determine who deserves protection and who deserves persecution. They aren't guarding the flock; they're preying on it.
So, what's the antidote?
We need rams, not sheep. A ram does not seek the fight, but I've yet to see a wolf stand up to a full-on headbutt. When faced with a predator, a ram doesn't hesitate—it charges, knocking down threats with sheer force and determination. Think of those who have stood firm against creeping authoritarianism, those who have organized, resisted, and refused to let fear dictate their path. The rams among us are those who push back in courtrooms, in legislatures, and in the streets, ensuring that wolves never go unchallenged. Unlike sheep, rams don't wait to be led to safety—they charge. Unlike "sheepdogs," rams don't concern themselves with dominance over the herd—they defend it. We don't need more sheepdogs hiding behind bravado; we need rams who will stand on their ground, organize, and fight back against the wolves dismantling the nation.
This takes effort, but if this fight is truly existential, then the future is worth it. Individual preparedness to deal with natural disasters or manmade ones such as turning off systems that control commerce, communication and support, knowledge of security and self-defense, civil disobedience and ways to disrupt without violence and mutual support to make sure nobody is out in the breeze with no help are just a few.
That said, we also need a cadre of true sheepdogs to make it happen. Not everyone is built for this fight. But some of us took an oath, and that oath wasn't to a flag, a party, or a cult of personality. It was to the Constitution—to defend this country from all enemies, foreign and domestic. The people of the United States invested in me and my contemporaries, and we need to give them a return on investment by leading the effort and instructing on how to become a force to be respected and feared when the overreach goes too far. The wolves need to know that outcomes and justice are potential realities when the reign of terror ends and that we will not quietly allow them to tear us down or subjugate us.
Right now, the wolves are inside the gates. It is not enough to recognize the threat—we must act. Organize, educate, and prepare to stand against those who seek to undermine the Republic. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not gifts to be bestowed, they are our inalienable rights and, at this moment, if you are concerned about acting or even speaking up, this has been usurped from you already. The time for passive observation is over; the time for rams and true sheepdogs is now.
This will not make me rich but helps me keep up the fight. It also lets you show your support for retaking America with a movement of sanity and practicality.
