Comments on: TRIBES

By: philmon

philmon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:15:01 +0000

Did you ever reproduce this one in an Afterburner?

By: Kathy L.

Kathy L. — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:02:09 +0000

Bill,

a new facebook friend and fan of Afterburner (and Trifecta) sent me “Tribes.” Trying to put words to my reaction to it is difficult at best.

The entire piece is true as I can see it, and moving, but the paragraph “If you have no capacity for violence….” moved me to tears. If you can help me understand why, I will be in your debt.

And your comment “I could have done something” — my older brother said exactly the same thing. When he watched “United 93,” he said the hardest thing about the movie was sitting there watching it. “If I’d been there I could have done something” he said over and over.

God bless you, Sheepdog. (Oh, and a minor point of disagreement–you aren’t an amateur sheepdog; your area of assignment is just different than the guys that get paid for it.)

By: we

we — Sat, 08 May 2010 19:32:26 +0000

Wow! Thanks for the link tmavenger. This is my new favorite of Kipling’s followed closely by Gods of the Copybook Headings. And I’m not particularly a poetry fan.

By: Western Chauvinist

Western Chauvinist — Sat, 08 May 2010 15:10:14 +0000

Very well said, Neerav. I would only remind you that the best sheepdogs, or in this case Shepherd, don’t care if the sheep are ungrateful or suicidal. He saves them anyway.

God bless.

By: jason gray

jason gray — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:59:00 +0000

absolutely superior. and i remember the original!

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:49:11 +0000

Sometimes, allegory has its own momentum.

Bill seems to forget that in this day and age, sheepdogs are much less likely to defend sheep against wolves than they are to herd sheep into sheds to be fleeced and slaughtered by the dogs’ owners.

Sadly, this would have required a moment of actual thought, so…

By: cmblake6

cmblake6 — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:35:21 +0000

Thank you for reposting this. Fantastic beyond words.

By: One of the greatest essays ever written. « Cmblake6’s Weblog

One of the greatest essays ever written. « Cmblake6’s Weblog — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:22:00 +0000

[...] of the greatest essays ever written. 2010 January 18 by cmblake6 “Tribes”, by Bill Whittle. In it, he describes the difference between the varying level of awareness, of the [...]

By: Leslie

Leslie — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:47:36 +0000

Yes, well done! The people in power today, is turning plenty of sheep into sheepdogs! More sheep dogs are needed, so they are transforming! Pray the people take back the wayword government!

By: HENRY COKER

HENRY COKER — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:43:35 +0000

BILL, I AM NOT AS EDUCATED AS YOU ARE, BUT I
AM EDUCATED ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND AGREE WITH EVERY WORD YOU WROTE AND I FEEL EVERY EMOTION YOU SPOKE OF , AT TIMES I THINK I MIGHT BE AS GREY AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE OR MAYBE A DARKER SHADE. THANK YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE.