The Sheepdog Mentality

In the carry movement there is a popular analogy involving sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. People who use to this analogy generally compare most people to sheep, bad guys to wolves, and those who carry to sheepdogs. Although I've used to analogy before I've moved away from it because I feel the analogy is flawed as a sheepdog is tasked with defending others while those who carry usually do so to defend themselves. Alan points out another interesting flaw in the analogy:

Sheep dogs are someone’s property and they help control other property. It sounds like a liberal’s fantasy of society. You know, the flock carefully tended and controlled with the sheep dog doing the master’s bidding.

I never thought about that before but it's true. Personally I'm not a sheepdog, I'm a human being. The firearm I carry is for self-defense not the defense of others (unless you're somebody important to me). If shooting starts that doesn't involve me or somebody of importance to me I'm booking it and calling the police. Some may say that's cowardly and to those people I say yes it is. I'm not ashamed of being a coward if that means taking actions that best improve my chances of survival. Shoot outs are not good for my health so I'll not participate unless somebody forces me to.