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The term "Sheeple"

expvideo

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I hear the term "sheeple" a lot in the gun community, especially on the OC forums. I never like to hear this, because it seems so derogitory. It sounds like we claim some kind of superiority over average Joe citizens.

I don't know if I'm taking it the wrong way, but to me it seems like this hurts us more than it helps us. It separates our group from theirs. It creates a clear line between "gun nut" and "normal people" to those that would be against OC.

It seems that to me, we want people to consider us to be "normal people" when we OC, but we still make this distinction that separates us. Not only that; it also is a confrontational term. If I were to read these forums looking for some dirt on gun owners, calling people "sheeple" would be a gold-mine. It makes us sound like we think we are superior and have some kind of devine priveledge that mere citizens could never have because we think they are stupid.

It also seems like the term is missused. I can understand that people that follow everything the media says would fall under the definition, but anyone that isn't aware of the legality of OC? I was a gun rights supporter long before I knew OC was legal. It seems like we use the term "sheeple" for anyone that doesn't know about or like the idea of OC.

I think that using the term makes us look like a bunch of jerks and doesn't win us any allies.



What are your opinions on the subject.
 

67390FE

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I've never been fond of name calling either. It usually cheapens the point of a discussion. My grandfather used to say "talk less, listen more, and remember that what you say is a reflection of your soul"
 

dng

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I think it depends on how it's used. When I hear "sheeple" used, it doesn't bring derogatory to mind. It just refers the the American public who is asleep at the wheel, doesn't really seem to care, and lets others fight for their rights. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm so tired of political correctness and worrying about hurting people's feelings. My feeling is "call a spade; a spade" and we'd all be better off. Just my 2 cents...
 

expvideo

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dngreer wrote:
I think it depends on how it's used. When I hear "sheeple" used, it doesn't bring derogatory to mind. It just refers the the American public who is asleep at the wheel, doesn't really seem to care, and lets others fight for their rights. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm so tired of political correctness and worrying about hurting people's feelings. My feeling is "call a spade; a spade" and we'd all be better off. Just my 2 cents...
I'm not pro-political correctness either, I just think that the term "sheeple" is bad PR for OC.
 

LoveMyCountry

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mini-IMG_2859.JPG

I am not a sheep. I watch over the sheep.
I am not a wolf. I have the means to defend myself and the sheep from the wolf.
Sam I Am.

LoveMyCountry
 

dng

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expvideo wrote:
dngreer wrote:
I think it depends on how it's used. When I hear "sheeple" used, it doesn't bring derogatory to mind. It just refers the the American public who is asleep at the wheel, doesn't really seem to care, and lets others fight for their rights. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm so tired of political correctness and worrying about hurting people's feelings. My feeling is "call a spade; a spade" and we'd all be better off. Just my 2 cents...
I'm not pro-political correctness either, I just think that the term "sheeple" is bad PR for OC.
I've heard it used in other forums, not just regarding OC. Also, Scion Cars has been using the term in some really weird commercials, (what's that all about btw?).
 

HankT

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expvideo wrote:
I hear the term "sheeple" a lot in the gun community, especially on the OC forums. I never like to hear this, because it seems so derogitory. It sounds like we claim some kind of superiority over average Joe citizens.

I don't know if I'm taking it the wrong way, but to me it seems like this hurts us more than it helps us. It separates our group from theirs. It creates a clear line between "gun nut" and "normal people" to those that would be against OC.

It seems that to me, we want people to consider us to be "normal people" when we OC, but we still make this distinction that separates us. Not only that; it also is a confrontational term. If I were to read these forums looking for some dirt on gun owners, calling people "sheeple" would be a gold-mine. It makes us sound like we think we are superior and have some kind of devine priveledge that mere citizens could never have because we think they are stupid.

It also seems like the term is missused. I can understand that people that follow everything the media says would fall under the definition, but anyone that isn't aware of the legality of OC? I was a gun rights supporter long before I knew OC was legal. It seems like we use the term "sheeple" for anyone that doesn't know about or like the idea of OC.

I think that using the term makes us look like a bunch of jerks and doesn't win us any allies.



What are your opinions on the subject.


I pretty much agree with your analysis. It is (almost always) just a deprecatory term.

It's not exactly a gold-mine for critics of pro-gun rights advocates but it does lower the level of any debate/discussion/argument between

When it's used in the gun loving communities, most of the time the reaction is of people agreeing with it like so many nodding bobble-head dolls. Of course, some folks can't do much better than that. Gives 'em a chance to participate in the conversation...
 

possumboy

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I don't know if this is the beginning of the term, but I have read this and think of it every time I hear that term.

I have used the term before; I was at my children's school for Halloween.
The conversation went a little like this:
Teacher: So, what are you dressed has?
Me: A sheeple.
Teacher: What's that?
Me: Someone who chooses to ignore the outside world thinking it will not intrude into their lives. Someone who believes that all other people are like them and do not want to harm others.
Teacher: So, does that make you a wolfle?
Me: No, I have not desired to harm, just a willingness to protect.
Teacher: But there are laws protecting the children?
Me: There are also laws against speeding? Did that stop you from speeding coming here? Remember, you are breaking the law even you are just doing 26 in a 25.
Teacher: But that is difference, no one gets hurt by speeding.
Me: Not true, several people have died because of speed. Speed can lead to crashes, crashes can lead to deaths.
Teacher: But murder is a much bigger thing than speeding.
Me: But people still do it, image if someone besides the attackers would have been armed in any of the school shootings. Also, the school shootings that were ended by someone besides the attackers were done by studentsor staff with guns.
Teacher: But that couldn't happen here!
Me: That is what they said also.
Teacher: Your just paranoid.
Me: Paranoia of Vigilance, call it what you want, doesn't matter to me. I intend on being prepared to protect my children. Unlike you.
Teacher: <gasp>
Me: You train for fire drills, but you don't have armed guards. Children are more likely to suffer from violence in schools than fire.
Teacher: I never thought about it like that.
Me: It makes you feel safe not to. I am truly sorry if I burst your bubble of security.

This is the book I think about when I hear the term. I found this already typed in on some website:
Lt. Colonel Grossman writes in his introduction to The Bulletproof Mind:

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident."

This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.

Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million total Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf." Or, as a sign in one California law enforcement agency put it, "We intimidate those who intimidate others."

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. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

He continues:

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial; that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are dozens of times more likely to be killed, and thousands of times more likely to be seriously injured, by school violence than by school fires, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their children is just too hard, so they choose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog that intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog. As Kipling said in his poem about "Tommy" the British soldier:

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that,
an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir,"
when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys,
there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir,"
when there's trouble in the wind.


Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

While there is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, he does have one real advantage -- only one. He is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.
 

FogRider

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I am not one, and I usually agree with the assessment that some people are, but I still hate the word. When I see the word, I can't help thinking the user is speaking from an emotional standpoint and not a logical one. Not to say the point is invalid, but I still have a prejudice against it. So if anyone else hates the word as much as me, then yes, it is hurting the cause.
 

DreQo

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I try not to use the term loosely. I do meet sheeple on a regular basis, though. It doesn't always have anything to do with guns, either. You see, I start having a conversation with someone...a mature, intelligent conversation. They express an opinion and (sometimes) state facts to support their opinion. I then reply with my own opinion, stating facts to support my opinion. Thats when it happens. Their eyes lose a little bit of color as they glass up. Their face curves into a subtle frown. They open their mouths in an attempt to argue, but they can't, because I've made my point, and they know I'm right. All that comes out is BAAAAAAAAAHHH, then they run away. They tuck their tails and mumble about howstupid I am because...because....well just because!

Sheeple are people that ignore logic, fact, and reason when it doesn't support their ownopinions or beliefs.Granted, you could be a sheeple about one thing and not about another.

Anyway one of the points people on here always try to make is that people who carry firearms are just normal people...no different from anyone else. Well normal people get frustrated. Normal people aren't always nice to everyone. Normal people have to vent. I don't think there's anything wrong with someone posting about a bad experience with a person who just didn't get it; who ignored facts and logic....aka, a sheeple.
 

Bravo_Sierra

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expvideo wrote:
I hear the term "sheeple" a lot in the gun community, especially on the OC forums. I never like to hear this, because it seems so derogitory. It sounds like we claim some kind of superiority over average Joe citizens.

I don't know if I'm taking it the wrong way, but to me it seems like this hurts us more than it helps us. It separates our group from theirs. It creates a clear line between "gun nut" and "normal people" to those that would be against OC.

It seems that to me, we want people to consider us to be "normal people" when we OC, but we still make this distinction that separates us. Not only that; it also is a confrontational term. If I were to read these forums looking for some dirt on gun owners, calling people "sheeple" would be a gold-mine. It makes us sound like we think we are superior and have some kind of devine priveledge that mere citizens could never have because we think they are stupid.

It also seems like the term is missused. I can understand that people that follow everything the media says would fall under the definition, but anyone that isn't aware of the legality of OC? I was a gun rights supporter long before I knew OC was legal. It seems like we use the term "sheeple" for anyone that doesn't know about or like the idea of OC.

I think that using the term makes us look like a bunch of jerks and doesn't win us any allies.



What are your opinions on the subject.

If you don't want to get hit by lighting, don't be a lightning rod... The sheeple I see every day are the condition white bastards who are talking on the phone while driving, only to look up and see the side of a 54' trailer. The people who walk out into traffic on the Las Vegas Strip and get plowed by some tourist distracted by the shiney light (every day event.) People who get items stolen right out of their hand and just stand there in shock. People who think that nothing bad is ever going to happen to them, then in a split second, are cradling their bloody dying loved one in a pool of tears and blood.

Is "Sheeple" a derogitory moniker? You bet your ass it is, and I'm glad I'm not one.
 

Grapeshot

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I use the term "sheeple" only with members of the "club."

I have always thought that the word "flock" was more appropriate in public
and it sounds so evangelical too!
:quirky
Yata hey
 

CA_Libertarian

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Bravo_Sierra wrote:
Is "Sheeple" a derogitory moniker? You bet your ass it is, and I'm glad I'm not one.
+1!

Is it good to be incompetent in your own defense? to be an easy victim? to be completely dependant on your fellow man for your basic survival? Hell no.

If I am none of the above named things, then I am better than those who are. Morally, I am more prepared to defend myself and my loved ones; to fulfill my role as my family's provider and guardian. Logically, I am more fit for survival. If you freeze up when the 'wolf' comes in for a meal... well, Darwin says you die. The weak, ill, and lame will be eaten first, and rightly so.

I don't give a damn if my opinion offends the sheeple. Maybe a slap to the face is what is needed to wake them up.
 

VAopencarry

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I don't see it as always derogatory, sometimes yes. Sheeple is not an OC thing, not sure where you got that idea.

What term would you suggest?
 

Grapeshot

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VAopencarry wrote:
I don't see it as always derogatory, sometimes yes. Sheeple is not an OC thing, not sure where you got that idea.

What term would you suggest?
I have always thought that the word "flock" was more appropriate in public
and it sounds so evangelical too!
:quirky
Yata hey
 

captainamerica

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Sheeple is not derogatory or name calling. It comes from the speech by a military man that used word pictures of sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. It is an excellent speech and much could be learned from it. I read it a few months ago to my 10 year old and he still talks about it today along with the idea that he wants to be a sheepdog for his family, friends, and any other innocents that are in need; just as he would want someone to be a sheepdog for him if his parents were not around. I think it's the Superhero (Batman, Spiderman, Superman) in all of us (especially boys) that easily identifies with this; not to mention John Wayne, Hopalong Cassidy, and The Lone Ranger.

If you are not familiar with it just google/yahoo keywords sheep, sheepdogs, wolves and see what it's all about.
 

SIGguy229

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Is there another term you would prefer that describes someone or a group of people who ignore the world around them or seeevil going on around them and refuse to do anything about it because it might hurt someone's feelings?



Armed or unarmed is irrevelent...are you a sheep (go along, get along) or are you willing to take responsibility for you and your family? Not emotion--just fact.
 
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