Mr. Knauss (sheep),
This letter in reference to your article ‘Gasparilla Protesters Rebuke Malcolm X’ in which you referred to the United States Army as, ‘Handing out beads and socializing gregariously, the murderers seemed to be doing quite well in furthering their cause.’ Mr. Knauss, you obviously know nothing about our cause. You also wrote, ‘the best defense against slander is the truth.’ That is why we are writing you this letter.
Your article said that you were able to take some time at Gasparilla to talk to an individual, which you found to be, ‘informed and sincerely dedicated.’ Have you taken the time to talk to a soldier or one of the great cadets attending this University? I assure you that you would also find us well informed and sincerely dedicated (and certainly not murderers). You also mentioned you were ‘grappling with the heat’ on Gasparilla (mid 70s). Keep in mind that, while you were struggling in the blistering heat of Tampa thousands of US soldiers, including dozens of UT alumni, were ‘grappling’ with temperatures of over 100 degrees, fully clothed and wearing body armor.
It is a shame that a profession such as ours, ‘of death and destruction,’ has to exist. It is a scary world we live in. That being said, someone has to protect our interest (the sheep dog). Whether you agree with the war, or not, we don’t mind. Just understand there are people out there that want to kill Americans (wolves). Yes, they do want to kill you too. Murder, according to Webster’s Dictionary, means, ‘To kill unlawfully and with malice.’ Murderers are those who capture civilians, tie their hands behind their back, turn on a camera, behead them with a dull knife and release the video on the internet. We (the United States Army) are not those people. We are the ones who fight to support a constitution that allows people to speak as freely as you do. A right, which many people across the world do not have the privilege to enjoy. That is our cause.
I’m sure by now you have noticed the words: sheep, sheep dog and wolves, please let us explain. This analogy is derived from Dave Grossman’s On Killing, but it fits the situation accordingly. There are three types of people in this world. One of which, are wolves. These people are the real murderers. They have no regard for human life and will kill innocent civilians including women and children without hesitation. These are wolves. Who do the wolves attack? The sheep. Being a sheep is not a derogatory term. There is nothing wrong with being a sheep as long as you understand the importance of the sheep dog. Just don’t be na’iuml;ve enough to think that the wolves aren’t out for you. Many sheep hate that the sheep dog has to exist, that is of course, until the wolves come around. Although you might not feel the wolves presence on you, we promise they are out there. We know because we are fulfilling our duty, our cause, to protect you.
On a final note we would like you to remember one more thing. As you write articles and slander our profession by describing us as ‘murderers’ take time to thank the thousands who have died for you. Not just in the Global War on Terror, but all the wars fought before. You do not know the first thing about being ‘valiant.’ Those true valiant individuals do not have the voice to speak because they have given their lives for us.
Sincerely,
Jesse Sheehan
US Army ROTC
Spartan Battalion
University of Tampa
(Sheep Dogs)