Of Sheep amd Warriors

[Rhabbi]

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 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.

In fact, the FBI reports that the violent crime rate for 2005 (the last year for which statistics are available) is a staggering 469.2 per 100,000. Your stats for murder are close to what was reported, but the aggravated assault stats do not seem to match those of any year I later than 1992. If we include such sill crimes as rape in our totals, since you seem to prefer to leave them out, the average American has almost a five percent chance of being the victim of a violent crime. This may not seem like much, but is more than 500 percent more than the stats you quoted.


http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_01.html

And this actually ignores a simple fact, these stats are cumulative. Every year you have this chance of being a victim. If only 6 people out of 100,000 were murdered, then we could live with it. But 6 people per 100,000 are murdered every year. 469.2 per 100,000 are murdered, raped, assaulted, robbed, or the victim of some violent crime every year. Live long enough and you will eventfully be one of them. These are just the reported crimes, what about the unreported ones?

Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed
by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent
citizens is considerably less than two million.

I personally do not like most cops, and would not trust them out of my sight, but that does not mean they disturb me. I am just a cynic and find that human nature is subject to corruption. The more power you give a person, the more susceptible they are to corruption. Quis Custodiet Custodes Ipsos? (Who Watches the Watchers?)

As for honor being the epitome of the warrior creed, we have a perfect example of that attitude in the movie “A Few Good Men.” Honor is such a man can lie, steal, cheat, and even kill to protect it, yet forget why he is there. As Cpl Hammaker said, they are there to protect the weak. If this means sacrificing their honor, then they should be willing to do it.

In the choice between warrior and sheep, I am neither. I will fight when I have to, when me or mine is threatened, but I do not depend on others to fight for me. I proudly proclaim that I depend on no one.

I am arrogant, and care nothing for this trip some men call honor. I stand for truth. I will proclaim who and what I am to all. I am a man, a Dom, but not a sheep, a wolf, or a warrior.

In closing, let me sat this about honor. Honor will sometimes sacrifice truth, but truth will never sacrifice honor.